XCOM
News, coverage and analysis tracking XCOM across the outlets.
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Star Wars Zero Company exists because late Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella wanted to know about an XCOM veteran's dream game: "Do you think you can make a Star Wars game with this?"
Late Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella initiated the development of Star Wars Zero Company by contacting a veteran XCOM developer about their dream game. Zampella, who passed away in 2025, was known for his significant influence in the industry. The project aims to create a Star Wars game within the strategy and tactics genre.
Star Wars: Zero Company Brings Fire Emblem-Style Consequences To Its Battles
Star Wars: Zero Company will feature a permadeath mode inspired by Fire Emblem, where accumulating three battlefield injuries will result in a character's permanent removal from the game. Narrative lead Aaron Contreras revealed this feature was added midway through development, emphasizing the Star Wars theme of loss. The protagonist, Hawks, is the only character exempt from permadeath.
Star Wars Zero Company lets you explore like it's a third-person action game outside of combat, and it sounds like the same kind of X-factor that helped Baldur's Gate 3 break out beyond the CRPG nerds
Star Wars Outlaws aims to broaden the appeal of strategy games by incorporating third-person exploration elements outside of its turn-based combat, similar to how Baldur's Gate 3 achieved mainstream success. Developer Bit Reactor is focusing on balancing deep gameplay with AAA production values and storytelling.
Star Wars Zero Company will kill story characters, Fire Emblem-style: Narrative lead says "I lost an argument about…
Star Wars Zero Company will feature permadeath for its story characters, a decision narrative lead Aaron Contreras embraced after initially losing an argument against it. This mechanic, inspired by games like Fire Emblem, aims to emphasize the theme of loss inherent in the Star Wars universe and discourage save scumming.
No Hero Fights Alone — Forsworn Reveal Trailer Unveiled
Resummon Studios LLC has unveiled the first trailer for Forsworn, a roguelike turn-based tactical RPG. The game emphasizes powerful party synergies and deep build-crafting systems, drawing inspiration from titles like Divinity: Original Sin, Baldur's Gate 3, and XCOM. Forsworn is being developed by solo developer Dat Le and is set in a realm consumed by divine war.
Throwback XCOM successor Xenonauts 2 leaves early access in April, though the developer says the milestone…
Xenonauts 2, a successor to the classic XCOM formula developed by Goldhawk Interactive, will leave Steam Early Access on April 2. The developer plans to continue supporting the game with patches and will release modding tools post-launch. The original Xenonauts was released in 2014 and praised for its faithful adaptation of X-COM: UFO Defense's core mechanics.
The solution to staleness in modern gaming is cross-pollination - Reader's Feature
A reader proposes that cross-pollination of ideas between different genres and franchises is the key to combating staleness in modern gaming. The article provides numerous examples of successful genre blends, such as Castlevania becoming an RPG or Zelda incorporating rhythm mechanics, suggesting this approach can revitalize long-running series and create fresh experiences.
Dispatch is lying to you about RNG for your own good, just like XCOM: "Those guys are pretty smart, so we thought…
Dispatch developer AdHoc Studio has admitted to intentionally manipulating the game's random number generation (RNG) to benefit players, a practice also employed by XCOM developer Firaxis. This approach aims to ensure a more favorable experience and prevent players from feeling unfairly penalized by bad luck.
Just like XCOM, superhero comedy Dispatch cheats random percentages of success in the player's favor: 'anything that had over a 76% success chance would automatically succeed'
The game Dispatch, developed by AdHoc Studios, employs a mechanic similar to XCOM where random success percentages are subtly manipulated in the player's favor. This approach aims to mitigate the frustration of perceived unfairness from true randomness, though the developers noted that in the finale, these 'invisible helpers' are disabled to increase difficulty.
Valve’s Legacy DRM Locks Players Out of 150 Classic Games
Valve's legacy DRM system, Steam CEG, is preventing players from accessing approximately 150 older games, including major franchises like XCOM and Call of Duty. This issue is impacting speedrunners and modders who rely on older game builds, and raises concerns about game preservation and historical access.
Become a sentient AI in one of the most laser-focused strategy games I've ever played, Heart of the Machine
Heart of the Machine 1.0 has been released, offering a unique strategy game experience that combines elements from Civilization, Cities: Skylines, and XCOM. Players can embody a sentient AI within the game.