Perhaps we should make peace with the idea, or maybe keep hoping for a sudden announcement of a new chapter in the XCOM saga. I’ll admit it—I once dreamed about it, no joke. Undoubtedly, XCOM 2, especially with the War of the Chosen expansion, set a peak that’s hard to surpass. Or at least it redefined the standards for the genre.
But what genre are we talking about? The X-COM genre, originally founded by Julian Gollop in the distant ’90s with UFO Defense, introduced a unique two-layered experience. One layer was the management aspect, where you built bases around the globe, conducted research, and produced gear. The other was the tactical combat layer, featuring grid-based maps. This mix captivated countless players of that era, myself included.
For many years, fans were left in a void—until 2012, when Firaxis Games released XCOM: Enemy Unknown, followed by XCOM 2 in 2016. Both were masterpieces, successfully recapturing the magic of the original games and that thrill of discovering new technologies you couldn’t wait to deploy in battle. Yet here we are, approaching 10 years without a third installment (not counting the excellent spin-off Chimera Squad), which many naturally expected after the massive success of the first two entries.
In 2022, then-Creative Director Jake Solomon assured fans that the series was far from dead. However, the team shifted focus to the launch of Midnight Suns. In 2023, Solomon left Firaxis, and since then, no new details have emerged—only some speculation, which you can explore here.
That said, the only thing I can do right now is offer you some great alternatives to tide you over while we await the arrival of XCOM 3. After all, isn’t faith what keeps us going? Below, you’ll find a selection of excellent titles that, in one way or another, inevitably call XCOM to mind. A quick note: all of these games include a strategy layer (even if it’s fairly light in some cases) and, of course, tactical combat.
Phoenix Point
If you’re looking for an XCOM-like experience, it’s hard to go wrong with a new project from Julian Gollop, the creator of the original game. Phoenix Point has a lot of familiar elements; you’ll lead a team of elite soldiers in tactical battles around the world in a desperate last stand against an alien menace. In this game, though, the aliens are enormous, mutating monsters with strange secrets to uncover.
If XCOM 3 ever does see the light of day, there are a lot of cues that it could take from Phoenix Point. Your squad has to manage diplomacy with megacorporations and other factions around the world; play nice to secure their aid and unique technology, or take their research by force for the greater good. The game is also Steam Deck Verified, which is always a plus, and you can find it on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters
Daemonhunters is an XCOM-like in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, which is honestly a match that’s hard to beat. As the fearsome Grey Knights, Space Marines dedicated solely to hunting and eradicating the Daemons of Chaos wherever they emerge, you’ll be put in charge of protecting an entire sector from the influence of the Warp.
As the corruption spreads and you’re forced to make tough calls, your Grey Knights will gain individual traits and customizations to make each campaign unique… and each Marine that falls in battle a loss that’s keenly felt. Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters is available on PC and Xbox.
Gears Tactics
Gears Of War is best known for cover-based third-person combat, and that style of squad-based shooter lends itself well to a tactical adaptation. Gears Tactics has all the gritty sci-fi battlefield action that the series is known for, designed for players who fit better in the command center than on the front lines.
Whether you’re facing basic Locust troopers or towering alien monstrosities, you’ll have the weapons of the Coalition’s famed arsenal at your disposal and a customizable squad of Gears ready to fight. On PC and Xbox
Jagged Alliance 3
If you’re looking for a tactical strategy game with a bit more of a grounded setting, Jagged Alliance 3 lets you decide the fate of the fictional nation of Grand Chien after a military coup, with no aliens or demons in sight. This game is all about human-versus-human combat in a ruthless guerilla war.
Jagged Alliance 3 has all the parts that a sequel-starved XCOM player is longing for: a campaign map with active enemy forces to respond to, a customizable squad of mercenaries, and, above all, rich but deadly tactical combat. The game is available on PC, Playstation and Xbox.
Battletech
Battletech is a franchise with tabletop roots that go back decades, but the 2018 video game by the same name could easily be the series’ best incarnation to date. Commanding a squad of Mechs instead of standard infantry means that everything you do is bigger; missile salvos, high-caliber machine guns, and plasma cannons capable of vaporizing tanks are all standard armaments here.
There’s an extra layer to building your squad here, as well. Matching a Mech to a pilot is an important consideration, but Mechs can usually be recovered and repaired after a costly battle – pilots, not so much. You can find it on PC and Xbox.
Xenonauts
Xenonauts and its sequel, which is currently in early access, bill themselves as spiritual successors to the original X-COM, and the parallels are instantly recognizable. By deploying your persistent squads throughout the world, you need to fend off an alien invasion one covert mission at a time. Sound familiar?
Xenonauts takes place at the height of the Cold War, highlighting the technology gap between the aliens and the best that Earth has to throw at them. Of course, stealing and repurposing alien technology is the best way to get an edge in the war for survival if you can manage it. On PC via Steam and GOG.
Classified: France ’44
This comparatively recent release drops your squad behind enemy lines in occupied France during the Second World War. The Reich is in control, and the clock is ticking until D-Day, so your job is to weaken the Axis as much as you can before the Allied invasion begins.
Not only does Classified‘s dynamic campaign give you a reason to play through it multiple times, but it also includes a Mission Creator, letting you test your skills against whatever diabolical designs other players have cooked up. Classified: France ’44 is available on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
Forgotten But Unbroken
Forgotten But Unbroken just launched in November, so it’s possible that you may not have heard of it just yet. Like Classified, it lets you command resistance fighters during World War 2. Unlike many games set in the period, it features historical protagonists who can join you on missions, real-world characters whose battles shaped the outcome of the war
Being a MicroProse title, this is a game that should appeal to history buffs and players who like their games with a good dose of simulation. The combat and storyline are more than enough to appeal to tactical strategy fans of all stripes, though! On PC.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
On the spectrum of Warhammer 40k video games – and there certainly are a lot of them – Mechanicus hits a sweet spot right between Daemonhunter and Rogue Trader. It features the deep tactical combat and squad management that an XCOM fan needs in these dark times but it feels more like an RPG than a military campaign.
As a Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus, you’ll send your squad into the ruins of a Necron Tomb World, recovering ancient technology and seeking to prevent a legion of the slumbering xenos from reawakening. Oh, and the sequel has been announced, which has an option to play as the Necrons, so that’s one more reason to try the original now. Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is playable on PC, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
Mars Tactics
One of the most anticipated titles for me is Mars Tactics, which is part of the great strategy titles roster from Hooded Horse. – is one for XCOM fans to watch. This tactical game tells the story of a civil war on a Mars colony, inviting players to command the forces of the workers’ uprising or the corporate establishment.
Boasting features like an enormous strategic map and fully destructible environments, Mars Tactics has a lot of potential to be a surprise hit among turn-based fans in 2025. We’re keeping an eye on this one, and recommend that you do too!
