XCOM 2
Hints and Tips:
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-= Know Which Campaign You Are Launching =-
The current Steam release can start either the original XCOM 2 campaign or War of
the Chosen when the expansion is installed. War of the Chosen is not a postgame
chapter. It is a revised full campaign with the Chosen, Resistance factions,
fatigue, soldier bonds, Covert Actions, Resistance Orders, Ability Points and
additional mission systems.
Base-game and War of the Chosen campaigns use separate save trees. Do not expect a
base-game campaign save to turn into a War of the Chosen campaign. If you want the
expanded rules, start a new War of the Chosen campaign.
Steam no longer uses the old 2K Launcher. Start the game from the Steam client when
you need to choose between Play XCOM 2, Play War of the Chosen, the New Mod Launcher
and the Original Mod Launcher. A desktop shortcut can default to the base game.
-= Decide How War of the Chosen Integrates the Story DLC =-
The Integrated Downloadable Content option changes Alien Hunters and Shen's Last
Gift. With integration enabled, Alien Nest and Lost Towers do not appear. Alien
Rulers guard marked Alien Facilities. Research Experimental Weapons to unlock the
four Hunter weapons as Proving Ground projects; SPARK construction is available
through the Proving Ground.
If you want the original DLC story missions, turn integration off when creating the
campaign and enable the individual DLC story options. Alien Hunters first provides a
scan site with the Hunter weapons; completing Alien Nest releases the Rulers and
unlocks later weapon upgrades. Lost Towers awards the SPARK prototype and unlocks
normal SPARK construction.
If integration is off and the individual story options are also left off, the DLC
content is not removed. Alien Rulers can enter normal missions without the Alien Nest
gate, Hunter weapons can be built in Engineering, and SPARK access requires the
Mechanized Warfare Proving Ground project. These are campaign setup rules, not
switches you can cleanly redesign halfway through a save.
-= War of the Chosen: Lost and Abandoned Changes the Opening =-
Enable Lost and Abandoned if you want the scripted introduction to the Reapers,
Skirmishers, the Lost and the Assassin. With this option enabled, the story opening
takes priority over the Advanced Options starting-faction choice. The campaign
establishes the Reapers first and introduces Mox and the Skirmishers through the
scripted missions.
Disable Lost and Abandoned if you prefer Gatecrasher to begin with one Resistance
faction soldier in the squad. Advanced Options can then choose the starting faction,
or the game can select one at random. This setting is separate from Integrated
Downloadable Content, which controls how Alien Hunters and Shen's Last Gift enter the
campaign.
-= Build Action Economy Before Luxury =-
Early strategic strength comes from more useful actions per mission and per day.
Build the Guerrilla Tactics School early enough to train rookies and unlock squad
size upgrades when the required soldier ranks are reached. Squad Size I requires a
Sergeant and raises the squad to five; Squad Size II requires a Captain and raises
it to six.
In War of the Chosen, build the Resistance Ring early enough to use Covert Actions.
They can provide promotions, faction influence, stat increases, contacts, personnel,
Avatar reduction and the Hunt the Chosen chains. Do not lock every useful engineer
or veteran into long assignments at the same time.
-= Base Game and War of the Chosen Use Different Medical Facilities =-
In the original XCOM 2 campaign, the Advanced Warfare Center accelerates healing,
allows soldiers to retrain normal class choices and can grant random cross-class
abilities as soldiers rank up. Building it early gives more promotions a chance to
interact with that bonus-ability system.
War of the Chosen retires the Advanced Warfare Center. The Infirmary owns healing
and negative-trait recovery, while the Training Center owns retraining, extra
abilities and higher soldier bonds. If a guide tells a War of the Chosen player to
build the Advanced Warfare Center, it is using base-game rules.
-= Use Exposed Power Coils Deliberately =-
An exposed power coil is more than an excavation reward. A normal facility built on
the coil does not consume normal Avenger power. A Power Relay built there gains an
extra output bonus. Use coils for facilities or power expansion that solve an actual
bottleneck instead of excavating around them without a plan.
-= Do Not Reveal a New Pod With the Last Soldier =-
Move the first soldier only as far as the rest of the squad can support. Revealing a
fresh enemy group with the final action of the turn gives that group a full response
while most of XCOM is already spent. Advance later soldiers through already revealed
ground and use concealed scouts to look beyond the formation.
A blue move uses one action and normally leaves another action available. A yellow
dash spends the whole turn. Treat the yellow path as a commitment: use it only when
the destination is already understood or the objective pressure justifies the risk.
-= Waypoints Are for Detection Tiles and Hazard Control =-
Hold Ctrl while issuing movement to build a waypoint path. In concealment, use the
red detection preview to route around enemy vision rather than accepting the game's
shortest path. Waypoints are also useful for avoiding fire, poison, explosive cars
and other tiles that turn a safe destination into a bad route.
-= Full Cover, High Ground and Broken Line of Sight Win Turns =-
Full cover is much safer than half cover, but neither is immunity. High ground
improves aim. If a dangerous enemy cannot be killed or controlled this turn,
breaking line of sight can be stronger than trusting a low-percentage shot from
cover.
Destroying enemy cover with grenades, heavy weapons or environmental damage often
creates a better attack sequence than firing several poor shots at the covered
target. Resolve guaranteed cover removal and control actions before spending your
last soldiers on uncertain shots.
-= Normal Overwatch Is Not a Free Shot =-
Standard Overwatch carries an aim penalty. It is strongest when enemies must cross
open ground or when you are setting up a concealed ambush, where the opening
reaction shots avoid the normal Overwatch penalty. Against an already active pod,
keeping soldiers flexible is often better than placing the entire squad into
Overwatch.
-= Timed Missions Reward Controlled Aggression =-
Do not answer a turn timer with blind dashes. Scout the next move, remove cover or
control the most dangerous enemy, then move the squad as a connected group. Mission
objectives and enemy elimination are different jobs: some missions let you secure
the objective and evacuate even when enemies remain, while Guerrilla Ops normally
require both the objective and clearing the area for full mission success and
reward.
If a mission is collapsing and evacuation is allowed, save the veteran squad rather
than turning one failed objective into six dead soldiers. An experienced roster is a
campaign resource.
-= Read Hack Failure Effects Before Chasing the Better Reward =-
Mission-objective hacks and optional network rewards are not the same decision. A
Specialist can remotely hack many mission objectives with the GREMLIN when line of
sight exists, but optional Security Tower and Haywire attempts can carry meaningful
failure effects. Read both the chance and the failure result before selecting the
larger reward.
A failed Haywire Protocol attempt on a robotic enemy can strengthen that enemy. Use
EMP effects or Bluescreen Rounds to lower Tech defense when a crucial robot hack
must succeed, or simply destroy the target when failure would be worse than the
reward.
-= Loot Expires and Explosions Can Destroy It =-
Dropped tactical loot has a turn counter. Reach it before the counter expires, and
avoid killing a loot-carrying enemy with an explosion because the loot can be
destroyed before it drops. On missions that end without evacuation, unexpired loot
left on the map is recovered automatically. Evacuation missions are different:
collect the loot before extracting if you want to keep it.
-= Carry Unconscious Soldiers When Evacuation Is Required =-
On kill-all missions, unconscious soldiers who remain on the battlefield can be
recovered automatically after victory. On missions that end by evacuation, carry an
unconscious soldier into the evac zone or that soldier may be captured. Bodies can
also be carried when recovering equipment matters.
-= Flashbangs Solve More Than Aim Problems =-
Flashbangs remove Overwatch and disable many enemy special actions. Disorienting the
controlling Sectoid breaks Mind Control and destroys its Psi Zombie. Flashbangs can
also end a Viper Bind. Mechanical enemies are not the main target for this tool, so
bring EMP or Bluescreen options when robots are the real threat.
-= Use the Right Anti-Mechanical Tools =-
Bluescreen Rounds add damage against many mechanical targets and reduce their Tech
defense. Combat Protocol is reliable damage against robotic enemies, and a
Specialist with Haywire Protocol can attempt to shut down or control MECs, Turrets,
Sectopods and Andromedon Shells. Shred armor before spending your best damage on
Sectopods or other heavily armored targets.
Gatekeepers are not ordinary mechanical units, but EMP and Bluescreen effects still
matter against them. Do not assume the organic appearance makes those tools useless.
-= Enemy Counters Worth Remembering =-
* Sectoid - flashbang or kill the controller to break Mind Control and Psi Zombies.
* Viper - damage or disorient it to release a bound soldier.
* Muton - do not rely on casual melee; its counterattack can punish the attempt.
* MEC / Sectopod - Bluescreen, EMP, Combat Protocol, Haywire and armor shred.
* Codex - avoid feeding it weak chip attacks that leave multiple clones to manage.
* Purifier - spread the squad before killing one because death can trigger an
explosion.
* Gatekeeper / Andromedon - strip armor before committing high-damage attacks.
-= The Mimic Beacon Buys a Turn, Not a Victory =-
The Faceless Autopsy unlocks the Mimic Beacon. Throw it where enemies can see the
decoy and force attacks into it for that enemy turn. It is strongest as a recovery
tool after a bad activation, but it can be destroyed before every enemy has acted.
Use the rescued turn to kill, control, reposition or escape instead of treating the
beacon as permanent safety.
-= Spend Intel With the Next Strategic Gate in Mind =-
Intel opens regions, buys Black Market items and can purchase access to Alien
Facilities through facility leads. Do not spend the last useful Intel on a
convenient item when an Avatar facility or required story region is still out of
reach.
At the Black Market, sell true surplus rather than the last copy of every corpse or
resource. Autopsies, Proving Ground projects and equipment can turn a pile of bodies
into a future campaign bottleneck.
-= Resistance Comms and Radio Relays Solve Different Limits =-
Resistance Comms aboard the Avenger raises the number of regions you can contact. A
Radio Relay is built in a contacted region on the Geoscape; it reduces the Intel cost
of nearby contacts, raises that region's Supply income and helps satisfy continent
bonus requirements. A relay does not add a contact slot. If expansion is blocked,
check both map adjacency and available Resistance Contacts.
-= Choose Guerrilla Ops by Dark Event and Reward =-
Guerrilla Ops are not interchangeable missions. Each offered operation can counter a
different Dark Event and provide a different reward. You normally complete only one
of the offered operations, so compare the event you prevent with the Engineer,
Scientist, Intel, Supplies or soldier reward you need right now.
Do not pick only by mission difficulty. Extra enemy armor, an Avenger-hunting UFO or
extra Avatar pressure can be more dangerous to one campaign than a larger short-term
reward. Hidden Dark Events can be revealed with Intel when knowing the risk is worth
the cost.
-= The Avatar Bar at Full Is Not an Instant Game Over =-
Filling the Avatar Project bar starts a final countdown. The campaign ends only if
that countdown expires without reducing Avatar progress. Keep at least one reachable
way to remove progress before deliberately spending weeks on optional scans.
Alien Facilities remove the progress contributed by that facility when destroyed.
Story objectives also remove progress, and War of the Chosen adds some Covert
Actions and Resistance tools that can reduce it. Use the mission or action preview
instead of assuming every story mission removes the same amount.
-= Alien Facilities Are Objective-and-Evac Missions =-
You do not need to wipe the map to destroy an Alien Facility. Reach the marked plant
point, place the X4 charge and evacuate the squad. Planting the charge can expose
the squad and trigger reinforcements, so position soldiers and plan the evac route
before you commit the carrier.
-= Keep Weapon and Armor Progress Near Enemy Progress =-
Do not spend the entire early research schedule on autopsies and side projects while
ADVENT reaches stronger armor and weapons. Magnetic weapons and plated armor are
major power jumps. Which comes first depends on the campaign state, but delaying
both creates an avoidable difficulty spike.
Weapon attachments should match the soldier's job. Expanded magazines support long
firing chains, autoloaders protect action economy, scopes help attacks that must
hit, and stocks add reliable chip damage on misses. A Repeater can occasionally
execute a target but should not replace a deterministic plan against a
mission-critical enemy.
-= Build Soldiers Around Jobs, Not Around Symmetry =-
Rangers can scout, flank and finish at close range. Grenadiers open fights by
removing cover and armor. Specialists provide remote objectives, healing and
anti-robot tools. Sharpshooters gain value from long sight lines and pistol action
economy. Psi Operatives train in the Psi Lab instead of earning normal combat
promotions.
A balanced squad does not require one of every class. It requires answers for armor,
range, objective interaction, recovery and a bad activation.
-= War of the Chosen: Rotate Tired Soldiers =-
Will falls during missions. A healthy soldier can still become Tired, and repeatedly
sending tired soldiers back out risks panic and negative traits. Maintain more than
one functional team and let soldiers recover Will instead of building the entire
campaign around six favorites.
The Infirmary accelerates healing and can remove negative traits. Prioritize traits
that can steal actions, cause panic or directly break the soldier's normal role.
-= War of the Chosen: Bonds Are Action Economy =-
Bondmates gain cohesion by serving together. Teamwork transfers an action from one
bondmate to the other, so the main value is not the relationship label but the
ability to extend the turn of the soldier who can solve the current problem.
Higher bond levels require Training Center time. Do not place both halves of several
important teams into training immediately before a difficult story mission.
-= War of the Chosen: Ability Points Reward Focused Builds =-
The Training Center lets soldiers buy extra abilities with personal Ability Points
and the shared XCOM pool. Spend them on a coherent tactical role before buying minor
abilities simply because they are available. Random bonus abilities can radically
improve a build, so inspect them before spending the shared pool.
-= War of the Chosen: Inspirations and Breakthroughs Are Time-Sensitive Choices =-
An Inspiration offers faster research for one specific technology. A Breakthrough
can grant a permanent campaign bonus such as improved equipment or another system
effect. When either opportunity appears, its special offer must be started
immediately or the opportunity is lost. Compare it with the research you are
interrupting instead of treating every popup as a mandatory detour.
-= War of the Chosen: Resistance Orders Change at the Monthly Cycle =-
Resistance Orders are slotted through faction influence and normally changed at the
monthly supply-drop cycle. Review the available orders before advancing past the
cycle. Early excavation or economy orders can become dead slots later, while timer,
contact or combat orders can solve a new campaign bottleneck.
-= War of the Chosen: Read Covert Action Risks Before Sending Veterans =-
Covert Actions can carry Ambush, Capture and Wound risks. Use the listed mitigation
slot when losing the assigned veteran would hurt more than the extra person or
resource needed to remove that risk. A captured soldier is not dead; later rescue
opportunities can return that soldier.
Use stat-reward actions deliberately. Mobility is especially useful for objective
runners and melee roles, while Aim is valuable on soldiers whose job depends on
reliable shooting. Hunt the Chosen chains matter because stronghold assaults are the
only way to remove a Chosen permanently.
-= War of the Chosen: Reapers, Skirmishers and Templars Solve Different Jobs =-
Reapers are exceptional scouts. Shadow lets them observe at close range without the
normal reveal rules, and Claymore or Remote Start can open engagements without
spending the same kind of direct shot. Preserve concealment when information is more
valuable than small damage.
Skirmishers are strongest when they exploit action economy and movement. Justice,
Wrath and Combat Presence can change positioning or give another soldier the action
that actually completes the turn.
Templars build Focus through Rend and spend it on stronger abilities. Scout the
landing tile before using Rend because melee movement can reveal another pod. Parry
can cancel the next attack after Rend, but it is not protection from an entire
active map.
-= War of the Chosen: Counter Each Chosen's Actual Attack Pattern =-
The Assassin closes distance under concealment. Use Battle Scanners, Scanning
Protocol and overlapping vision to reveal likely approaches. Read her generated
strengths: if Shadowstep is present, ordinary Overwatch cannot be your answer. Once
she is visible, focus damage before she can strike, vanish and repeat.
The Hunter's Tracking Shot gives a visible warning and one turn to break line of
sight. Move out of the marked firing line instead of trading shots across the map,
then close the distance while the rest of the squad controls normal enemies.
The Warlock attacks Will with Mind Control and summoned Spectral units. Mindshields
are the reliable preparation when his territory makes contact likely. Chosen are not
normal flashbang targets, so do not expect disorientation to shut down the Warlock.
When possible, kill or pressure the source instead of spending every action on
temporary summons.
-= War of the Chosen: Defeat the Chosen, Then Break the Sarcophagus =-
Defeating a Chosen in an ordinary mission does not kill that Chosen permanently.
Complete the Hunt chain to reveal the stronghold, then assault it. In the final
room, defeat the Chosen, attack the exposed sarcophagus during the resurrection
cycle, and then kill the returned Chosen. Destroying the sarcophagus stops future
revivals and the final kill removes that Chosen from the campaign.
Read the generated strengths and weaknesses before each encounter. Immunities,
strengths and weakness rolls differ between campaigns, so a tactic that dominated
one save can be poor in another. A Chosen that abducts or interrogates soldiers
gains knowledge toward finding the Avenger, so repeated escapes have a strategy-layer
cost.
-= War of the Chosen: Lost Headshots Are an Action Chain =-
A standard weapon shot that kills a Lost refunds the action through Headshot. Start
with targets you can kill reliably and watch ammunition: a miss, a nonlethal hit or
a reload can end that soldier's chain. Pistols are useful because they do not
consume primary-weapon ammunition.
Explosions can attract additional Lost swarms. Use explosives when destroying ADVENT
or cover is worth the new pressure, not because Lost maps forbid explosives
entirely. Lost also attack ADVENT, so do not rescue the enemy from a fight that is
helping you.
-= Alien Hunters: Rulers React to Your Actions =-
Alien Rulers can take reactions during XCOM actions while active. Do not discover
one with half the squad already spent. Frost, stun, damage-over-time effects, armor
shred and free actions are valuable because they reduce the number or value of Ruler
reactions. If a Ruler escapes through a portal, its lost health persists into the
next encounter.
With War of the Chosen Integrated DLC, Alien Rulers are tied to guarded Alien
Facilities. With the original Alien Hunters story enabled instead, completing the
Alien Nest opens the normal Ruler encounters.
-= Shen's Last Gift: SPARKs Ignore Several Human-Soldier Rules =-
The SPARK is a mechanical soldier. It does not use cover bonuses in the normal way,
can jump to accessible elevations and ignores several organic status effects. In War
of the Chosen it can use weapon upgrades and is handled differently from
fatigue-based human soldiers.
With Integrated DLC, SPARK access is folded into Proving Ground production. With the
original Shen's Last Gift story enabled, Lost Towers is the route to the prototype.
-= Tactical Legacy Pack: Offline Challenges Still Exist =-
The Windows Steam multiplayer service and the original online Challenge Mode were
removed in 2022. Do not troubleshoot them as if the old service still exists.
The Tactical Legacy Pack retains its own offline Challenge Mode archive with more
than 100 challenges. Central's Archives is separate playable legacy content. Its four
operations unlock rewards for the War of the Chosen campaign as you complete them:
* Blast from the Past - legacy weapons.
* It Came from the Sea - legacy armor.
* Avenger Assemble - legacy helmets.
* The Lazarus Project - additional soldier attitudes.
-= The ADVENT Network Tower Is the Final Point of Commitment =-
Do not launch the Network Tower merely because it is available. Finish any Chosen
strongholds whose weapons you still want, complete important bond or Training Center
work, equip the intended final roster and make a named Geoscape save first. The
Network Tower leads into the Alien Fortress final sequence rather than returning you
to normal campaign management.
Campaign Route:
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-= Golden Path - Base Game and War of the Chosen =-
* Alien Biotech / ADVENT Officer Autopsy -> build the Proving Ground and Skulljack.
* Skulljack an ADVENT Officer -> fight the Codex and recover the Codex Brain.
* ADVENT Blacksite -> recover the Blacksite Vial and extract.
* Blacksite Vial research -> unlock the Forge branch through the Shadow Chamber.
* Codex Brain research -> unlock the Psi Gate branch through the Shadow Chamber.
* Forge -> recover the Stasis Suit occupant and extract.
* Psi Gate -> clear the site and recover the Gatekeeper-related story evidence.
* Skulljack a Codex -> defeat the spawned Avatar and recover the Avatar corpse.
* Complete the required Shadow Chamber projects and Avatar Autopsy.
* ADVENT Network Tower -> hack the broadcast array with the small assault team.
* Alien Fortress -> keep the Commander's Avatar alive and kill all three Avatars.
-= War of the Chosen Side Route =-
* Meet the Resistance factions and use the Resistance Ring for Covert Actions.
* Complete each Chosen's Hunt chain to reveal that Chosen's stronghold.
* Stronghold -> kill the Chosen, destroy the sarcophagus, kill the Chosen again.
* Chosen kills award their unique weapons and permanently remove that Chosen.
* You may delay strongholds to prepare, but the Chosen keeps gaining knowledge and
abilities while alive.
-= Optional Story DLC Routes =-
* Alien Hunters, non-integrated -> scan the Nest mission, complete it, then expect
Alien Rulers to begin appearing later.
* Shen's Last Gift, non-integrated -> scan Lost Towers, complete the tower and
recover the SPARK prototype.
* Integrated DLC -> those story missions disappear; the content enters normal
campaign systems instead.
Solutions:
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-= ADVENT Blacksite - Vial Recovered but the Squad Gets Trapped =-
1. Enter concealed and clear a safe route toward the Blacksite instead of attacking
the first patrol automatically.
2. Reach the marked vial container with enough actions left to survive the reveal.
3. Interact with the container and take the Blacksite Vial.
4. Expect the mission to become an extraction problem after the objective. Do not
spread the squad across the facility before taking the vial.
5. Move the carrier and squad toward evac while controlling the enemies that block
the route. Killing every hostile is not the objective once extraction is open.
-= Skulljack an ADVENT Officer - The Objective Never Completes =-
1. Build a Skulljack in the Proving Ground and equip it on the soldier who will make
the attempt.
2. Find an ADVENT Officer on a mission while the objective is active.
3. Move the Skulljack carrier adjacent to the Officer and use the Skulljack action.
4. The action kills the Officer and triggers the Codex encounter.
5. Kill the Codex and recover the Codex Brain to continue the story chain.
-= Forge - Stasis Suit Recovered but the Mission Still Fails =-
1. Bring a team that can handle heavy robotic resistance; a Sectopod is part of the
normal Forge threat.
2. Fight to the marked Stasis Suit chamber and secure the interaction area.
3. Take the Stasis Suit occupant with the soldier who performs the objective.
4. Protect the carrier on the return route; carrying the objective limits movement
options and makes that soldier the mission priority.
5. Reach evac with the objective and the soldiers you intend to save. Merely
touching the chamber is not the extraction condition.
-= Psi Gate - Gatekeeper Appears at the End =-
1. Enter with armor shred and anti-Gatekeeper tools prepared.
2. Advance carefully through the Chryssalid-heavy route instead of dashing into
unrevealed ground.
3. Reach the Psi Gate and trigger the final encounter.
4. Kill the Gatekeeper and the remaining required hostiles.
5. Complete the site objective only after the final enemy wave is controlled; there
is no shortcut that replaces the Gatekeeper fight.
-= Skulljack a Codex - Avatar Fight Starts Immediately =-
1. Equip the Skulljack before launching a mission where a Codex is available.
2. Injure or isolate the Codex without destroying it.
3. Move the Skulljack carrier adjacent and use the Skulljack action.
4. The action spawns an Avatar. Save control abilities and burst damage for this
moment instead of spending the entire squad on the Codex.
5. Kill the Avatar and recover the corpse to unlock the final Avatar research path.
-= Alien Facility - X4 Planted but Enemies Keep Arriving =-
1. Enter concealed and route toward the plant point without fighting every patrol.
2. Before planting X4, position the squad so the carrier has a route back toward
extraction.
3. Plant the charge at the marked facility point.
4. Use Call Skyranger (P) and place a valid evac zone near the squad.
5. Control only enemies and reinforcements that block the evac route, then extract
every soldier you intend to save. The facility objective does not require a map
wipe.
-= Avenger Defense - Disruptor Destroyed but the Mission Does Not End =-
1. Stop enemies from reaching the Avenger ramp. An enemy that remains at the ramp
can end the defense.
2. Advance a strike group toward the Disruptor while the rest of the roster protects
the retreat line.
3. Destroy the Disruptor; this removes the device preventing the Avenger from
leaving.
4. Pull every surviving soldier back to the ramp after the objective changes.
5. Trigger Lift Off only when the soldiers you want to keep are inside the
extraction area. Soldiers left outside are lost.
-= War of the Chosen Avenger Assault - Artillery Cannon Will Not Die =-
1. This is the Chosen assault variant. Do not waste fire on the invulnerable
artillery cannon itself.
2. Push outward and destroy the four ADVENT Turrets protecting the route.
3. Find and destroy the Mobile Power Generator that powers the artillery.
4. Use the larger deployment to keep one group protecting the Avenger while another
group attacks the generator.
5. Eliminate the remaining required hostiles and Chosen after the artillery threat
is disabled.
-= Chosen Stronghold - Chosen Keeps Returning =-
1. Preserve ammunition and limited-use items through the approach room.
2. In the final chamber, defeat the Chosen once.
3. As soon as the sarcophagus becomes vulnerable, focus damage on it. Reinforcements
appear while the resurrection cycle runs.
4. Destroy the sarcophagus before the Chosen completes another revival cycle.
5. Kill the returned Chosen after the sarcophagus is gone. This final kill is the
permanent one.
-= War of the Chosen - Rescue a Soldier Captured by a Chosen =-
1. Do not search the Chosen stronghold for the prisoner. Check the Resistance Ring
after monthly Covert Action refreshes; a Rescue Soldier action can appear later.
2. Complete that Rescue Soldier Covert Action to locate the prison and unlock the
tactical rescue.
3. Enter the rescue concealed and approach the cell or holding area without fighting
every patrol on the way.
4. Free the prisoner, pick up the unconscious soldier and move the carrier toward
evacuation. Treat extraction, not a map wipe, as the objective.
5. If the soldier was left behind on an evacuation mission instead of being
kidnapped by a Chosen, the Resistance Ring rescue is not the normal route. Watch
later Council VIP rescue missions for that soldier.
-= War of the Chosen - Escape a Covert Action Ambush =-
1. Before sending valuable soldiers, use an available Ambush-risk mitigation slot
when the cost is preferable to risking the assigned operatives.
2. If an Ambush triggers, the tactical team is the personnel assigned to that Covert
Action. The objective is to reach the fixed evac zone across the map.
3. Move toward evac immediately through cover and solid buildings. Do not stop to
clear every Lost or ADVENT group unless it blocks the route.
4. Expect hostile pressure and reinforcements while crossing the map. Preserve
actions for movement and use free movement or reliable Lost Headshot chains when
available.
5. Evacuate every assigned operative. The mission does not require a map wipe.
-= ADVENT Network Tower - Only Three Soldiers Are Available =-
1. The small squad limit is intentional. Prepare your best compact team before
committing to the final sequence.
2. Spend Intel on the listed pre-mission advantages only when they solve a real gap;
one option can add an extra soldier.
3. Use concealment and the purchased advantages to reach the broadcast array without
activating every pod at once.
4. Hack the Central Broadcast Array to complete the tower mission.
5. Treat this as the point of commitment: the Alien Fortress follows the final story
sequence, so finish roster and equipment preparation before launching the tower.
-= Alien Fortress - Reinforcements Never Stop =-
1. Protect the Commander's Avatar. Losing that unit ends the final battle.
2. Advance in controlled stages so several pods do not activate around the Avatar at
once.
3. Save burst damage, armor shred and control for the enemy Avatars.
4. Kill the three required Avatars. Reinforcements can continue while the objective
remains active, so do not try to farm every incoming enemy.
5. In War of the Chosen, be ready for surviving Chosen to appear in the final
mission. Permanent stronghold kills remove that extra threat beforehand.
-= Alien Hunters - Alien Nest and the Viper King =-
1. This mission exists only when the Alien Hunters story mission is enabled rather
than replaced by Integrated DLC.
2. Bradford joins the mission as a fixed Ranger. Use the scripted team and supplied
weapons rather than expecting a normal squad-selection screen.
3. Clear the route through the Nest while preserving Frost and control options.
4. Fight the Viper King without spending all actions before it can react.
5. Completing the Nest starts the normal Alien Ruler hunt; future Ruler damage can
carry across encounters when a Ruler escapes.
-= Shen's Last Gift - Julian and the Lost Towers Finale =-
1. This mission exists only when Lost Towers is enabled rather than replaced by
Integrated DLC.
2. In War of the Chosen, expect the multi-stage mission to leave the squad heavily
fatigued. Avoid committing soldiers you must use again immediately afterward.
3. Advance through the tower while using the SPARK prototype and Shen's tools to
handle the mechanical defenses.
4. Expect repeated Derelict MEC pressure and do not spend every repair/control
option before the last level.
5. In the finale, destroy Julian's Sectopod body while managing the continuing MEC
pressure.
6. Complete the tower to keep the SPARK prototype and unlock normal SPARK use.
-= Neutralize Enemy VIP - Capture Gives the Better Outcome =-
1. Do not kill the VIP if you want the full capture reward.
2. Move a soldier next to the VIP. The mission-specific Knockout action becomes
available at close range; use it to leave the VIP unconscious.
3. Pick up the unconscious VIP with the Carry Unit action. Be ready for the mission's
reinforcement response after the target is neutralized.
4. Carry the VIP into the evac zone and evacuate that carrier before the mission
ends. A VIP left outside evac does not count as captured.
5. Capturing the VIP awards Supplies plus Intel. Killing the VIP still gives the
Supplies outcome but loses the Intel reward.
-= Retaliation - Civilians Keep Dying While You Clear Pods =-
1. Move fast enough to reveal civilians but do not dash the whole squad into new
pods.
2. Touch safe civilians to rescue them and watch for Faceless reveals.
3. Protect the minimum required number before spending turns on distant enemies. The
standard retaliation map begins with 13 civilians and requires at least six
saved.
4. After the rescue requirement is safe, eliminate the remaining hostiles to finish
the mission.
Cheats, Secrets and Exploits:
-----------------------------
-= Secret Hero Soldier Names =-
In XCOM 2 or War of the Chosen single-player, open a soldier's customization and
Character Info. The following names replace that soldier with a special high-level
hero template:
* Sid Meier - enter Sid as the first name and Meier as the last name.
* Peter Van Doorn - enter Peter as the first name and Van Doorn as the last name.
* Beaglerush - enter Beaglerush in the nickname field. The soldier must be Sergeant
rank or higher before the nickname field can be customized.
The transformation replaces the selected soldier's existing attributes and build.
Use a fresh or disposable soldier rather than overwriting a veteran you intend to
keep.
Console Commands:
-----------------
-= Enable the Console =-
Add -allowconsole to the game's Steam launch options. Start the campaign version you
intend to modify, then open the console with the tilde, apostrophe or backslash key,
depending on keyboard layout. Make a separate save first. If a cheat command is
ignored, enter EnableCheats once in the console and retry. Console commands can
bypass mission state, corrupt progression or make a save depend on a modified
condition.
-= Tactical Recovery Commands =-
RestartLevel
- Restarts the current tactical mission and discards unsaved tactical progress.
RestartLevelWithSameSeed
- Restarts the tactical mission with the same random seed and generated setup.
SkipAI
- Skips the current AI turn. Use it only to recover from a stuck AI phase because
mission scripts can expect the skipped behavior.
TTC
- Teleports the selected tactical unit to the mouse cursor. Target valid ground and
avoid scripted objective geometry.
TATC
- Teleports tactical units to the cursor. Save first because objective triggers can
break when units bypass their expected route.
KillAllAIs
- Kills AI-controlled units. This can break objectives that require a specific reveal,
interaction or scripted kill, so use it only on a copied save.
PowerUp
- Toggles god-mode protection and unlimited ammunition for the XCOM squad. Run it again
to disable the effect; do not use it on the only campaign save.
TakeNoDamage
- Toggles damage immunity for player soldiers. Run it again to disable the effect or
reload from a clean save before judging whether a tactical bug still exists.
ToggleUnlimitedActions
- Toggles unlimited action points for both XCOM and the AI. Turn it off before ending
the turn or the AI can use the same unlimited-action state.
ToggleFOW
- Toggles Fog of War for map visibility. Revealing the map does not automatically
discover every enemy for normal targeting or mission triggers.
ToggleSquadConcealment
- Toggles squad concealment. Enemies that already know a soldier's location remain
alerted, so this does not erase an active engagement.
-= Resources, Items and Strategy Commands =-
GiveResource Supplies 500
- Adds 500 Supplies when the resource is already present. If the current stock is zero,
use AddItem Supplies 500 instead; GiveResource requires an existing resource entry.
GiveResource Intel 100
- Adds 100 Intel.
AddItem EleriumCore 5
- Adds five Elerium Cores.
AddItem MimicBeacon 1
- Adds one Mimic Beacon when the template is available in the current campaign state.
AddItem BluescreenRounds 1
- Adds one set of Bluescreen Rounds.
GiveActionPoints 2
- Adds action points to the currently selected tactical unit.
HealAllSoldiers
- Heals wounded soldiers in the barracks. It does not clear War of the Chosen Tired
status. Refresh the strategy screen if visible wound values do not update.
MakeAllSoldiersReady
- Marks barracks soldiers ready for deployment and clears WOTC Tired status that
HealAllSoldiers does not remove. Save first because this bypasses normal recovery.
LevelUpBarracks 1
- Raises barracks soldiers by one rank. This can distort normal promotion progression,
so keep a backup save.
RemoveFortressDoom 1
- Removes one point of core Avatar Project progress. It does not remove pips currently
contributed by Alien Facilities; destroy those facilities to remove their progress.
Advance or refresh the strategy view if the display does not redraw immediately.
-= War of the Chosen Soldier Commands =-
GiveFactionSoldiers
- Adds faction soldiers for the Reapers, Skirmishers and Templars.
BondSoldiers "First Last" "First Last" true
- Creates the named soldier bond. Use false as the final argument to remove the bond.
Names containing spaces require quotation marks.
SetSoldierStat eStat_Offense 90 "First Last" 1
- Sets the named soldier's Aim to 90 in War of the Chosen. The final 1 tells the WOTC
command to change the soldier's base stat. Verify the soldier before overwriting a
backup save.
-= Skip Startup Movies =-
Add -nostartupmovies to the launch options when you only want to skip the startup
movie sequence. Combine it with -allowconsole only when you actually need both.
Technical Issues:
-----------------
-= The Old 2K Launcher Is Gone =-
The 2K Launcher was removed from XCOM 2 on Steam in November 2024. The current Steam
menu offers direct XCOM 2 and War of the Chosen launches plus the New and Original
Mod Launchers when War of the Chosen is installed. Do not follow troubleshooting
instructions that depend on repairing or reinstalling the retired 2K Launcher.
If you launch from a desktop shortcut and War of the Chosen does not appear, start
from the Steam Library and choose Play War of the Chosen. The shortcut can default
to the base campaign.
-= Direct Launch Can Keep Previously Enabled Mods =-
Steam's direct Play XCOM 2 and Play War of the Chosen entries do not guarantee an
unmodded session when you previously enabled mods. Open one of the mod launchers,
disable the mods and launch once through that launcher if you need a genuinely clean
test.
The two Steam Mod Launchers handle compatibility warnings differently. The Original
Mod Launcher can warn and still allow the mod; the New Mod Launcher can block enabled
mods it considers incompatible. If the New launcher blocks a known compatible mod,
try the Original launcher, but keep a backup and read the mod's compatibility notes.
-= Resolution Is Set to 0x0 =-
If the game will not launch correctly because its resolution is set to 0x0, open
Steam Properties and add this temporary Launch Option:
-Windowed -SizeX=1280 -SizeY=720
Launch the game, choose a valid resolution in Options, exit, then remove the
temporary launch arguments.
-= 2K PC Workarounds for Specific Symptoms =-
* Steam Mod List is unavailable - record the active mod set, unsubscribe from the
XCOM 2 Workshop mods, then resubscribe and reopen a Mod Launcher.
* Targeting will not select an enemy or jumps between targets - use Tab or Shift to
cycle the available targets.
* Camera or map moves without input - back up \Engine\Config\
BaseEngine.ini, change AllowJoystickInput=1 to AllowJoystickInput=0, save, and
relaunch the game.
* Epic saves disappear or saving/loading fails while offline - run the Epic Games
Launcher in Online mode with an active internet connection.
* Steam Error Code 55 - set Properties -> Betas -> Beta Participation to NONE,
restart Steam, install any Steam client update, restart again, and launch.
* Startup crashes began after downloading Tactical Legacy Pack - uninstall and
reinstall XCOM 2, then let the platform client resync the local files.
-= Epic Uses a Different Mod-Launcher Path =-
On the Epic Windows release, the mod launcher opens at startup and lets you choose
between XCOM 2 and War of the Chosen when the expansion is installed. Epic mods must
be placed manually under the matching game branch:
\XComGame\Mods\
\XCom2-WarOfTheChosen\XComGame\Mods\
Create the Mods folder if it does not exist, keep each mod in its own subfolder, and
do not drop a War of the Chosen mod into the base-game branch. Steam Workshop mods
are not automatically portable to Epic when they depend on Steam-specific packaging
or another launcher workflow.
-= Base Game and War of the Chosen Use Separate Save Trees =-
Base-game saves: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\XCOM2\XComGame\SaveData\
War of the Chosen saves: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\XCOM2 War of the
Chosen\XComGame\SaveData\
Exit the game before copying files. Back up the entire SaveData folder and keep an
earlier Geoscape save as well as the newest tactical save. Ironman concentrates more
risk into fewer files, so make an external backup before changing mods or configs.
-= Regenerate User Config Before Declaring a Save Corrupt =-
Base-game config: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\XCOM2\XComGame\Config\
War of the Chosen config: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\XCOM2 War of the
Chosen\XComGame\Config\
If startup, key bindings or graphics behavior become corrupted, exit the game, back
up the relevant Config folder, rename it and let the game generate a clean copy.
Test the unmodded game before restoring old configuration files one by one. For a
base-game launch crash, 2K also recommends deleting the generated
Documents\My Games\XCOM2\CookedPCConsole\ folder and then verifying installed
files so the shader cache is rebuilt.
-= Modded Campaign Safety =-
A save can depend on the mods that supplied classes, items, maps, enemies or
campaign systems. Record the active mod list before removing or updating anything.
Make a named save, exit, back up SaveData and Config, then change one small mod
group at a time.
If a modded save hangs or crashes, first confirm that you launched the correct base
or War of the Chosen executable. Disable recently changed mods, regenerate Config
and verify Steam files. Test a new unmodded campaign. If the clean campaign works,
restore the old mod set and try an earlier campaign save instead of repeatedly
overwriting the latest one.
-= Character Pool Files Are Not the Same as Campaign Saves =-
From the main menu, open Character Pool, select the soldiers you want to share and
use Export Selection to create or update a pool. The exported pool is a .bin file in
the Importable folder.
Base game:
Documents\My Games\XCOM2\XComGame\CharacterPool\Importable\
War of the Chosen:
Documents\My Games\XCOM2 War of the Chosen\XComGame\CharacterPool\Importable\
To move a base-game pool into War of the Chosen, copy the .bin file from the base
Importable folder to the WOTC Importable folder. Then open Character Pool, choose
Import Character and import the whole pool or selected soldiers.
Character Pool files are separate from campaign saves. Back up important pools
separately before reinstalling or moving PCs.
-= Captured VIP Fails if the Carrier Evacuates Last =-
War of the Chosen can mis-handle a captured VIP when the soldier carrying that VIP
is the final unit to evacuate. If the objective matters, evacuate the VIP carrier
before the last ordinary soldier instead of making the carrier the final evac
action.
-= Windows Steam Multiplayer and Online Challenge Mode Are Retired =-
The Windows Steam multiplayer service and online Challenge Mode were removed on
March 28, 2022. A connection error there is not a port-forwarding problem you can
repair. The Tactical Legacy Pack's offline Challenge Mode is a different feature and
remains usable.
Reference:
----------
-= Core PC Controls =-
* F5 - Quick Save.
* F9 - Quick Load.
* Right Click - Move selected unit.
* Ctrl + Right Click - Place movement waypoints.
* V - Interact with an object.
* Tab / Shift - Next / previous unit or target.
* 1-0 - Tactical abilities.
* Y - Overwatch.
* R - Reload.
* Q / E - Rotate camera.
* F / C or mouse wheel - Floor up / down.
* End / Backspace - End turn.
* P - Call the Skyranger when evacuation is available.
-= Avatar Emergency Quick Lookup =-
* Full Avatar bar -> starts the final countdown; it is not instant defeat.
* Destroy an Alien Facility -> removes that facility's contributed progress.
* Story objectives -> remove progress when the objective specifically awards it.
* War of the Chosen -> some Covert Actions and Resistance tools can reduce progress.
* Keep one reachable reduction route before spending weeks on optional scans.
-= Golden Path Quick Lookup =-
* Officer Autopsy -> Proving Ground / Skulljack.
* Skulljack Officer -> Codex -> Codex Brain.
* Blacksite -> Blacksite Vial -> Forge branch.
* Codex Brain -> Psi Gate branch.
* Forge + Psi Gate + Skulljack Codex -> Avatar corpse / final Shadow projects.
* Avatar Autopsy -> ADVENT Network Tower -> Alien Fortress.
-= Mission Stuck-Point Quick Lookup =-
* Blacksite -> take the vial, then extract; do not wait for a map wipe.
* Forge -> carry the Stasis Suit occupant to evac.
* Psi Gate -> kill the Gatekeeper and required hostiles.
* Alien Facility -> plant X4, Call Skyranger (P), then evacuate.
* Avenger Defense -> destroy Disruptor, return everyone to the ramp, Lift Off.
* WOTC Avenger Assault -> destroy the Mobile Power Generator, not the artillery.
* Chosen Stronghold -> Chosen down, sarcophagus down, Chosen down again.
* Chosen-captured soldier -> Rescue Soldier Covert Action, then extract the captive.
* Covert Action ambush -> take the assigned operatives to the fixed evac zone.
* Network Tower -> small team is intentional; hack the broadcast array.
* Alien Fortress -> keep the Commander's Avatar alive; kill three Avatars.
* VIP capture -> carry the unconscious target into evac.
-= War of the Chosen Quick Lookup =-
* Tired soldier -> rest to recover Will; healthy does not always mean ready.
* Bond Teamwork -> transfers an action to the bondmate.
* Orders -> normally change at the monthly supply-drop cycle.
* Covert Actions -> read Ambush / Capture / Wound risks before assigning veterans.
* Chosen -> only stronghold completion removes one permanently.
* Lost -> lethal standard shots refund the action through Headshot.
* Integrated DLC -> no Alien Nest or Lost Towers story mission.
* Lost and Abandoned on -> scripted Reaper/Skirmisher opening and Assassin first.
-= Console Quick Lookup =-
* Enable console -> -allowconsole
* Enable cheat commands if needed -> EnableCheats
* Restart mission -> RestartLevel
* Same-seed restart -> RestartLevelWithSameSeed
* Skip stuck AI turn -> SkipAI
* Teleport selected unit -> TTC
* Teleport all tactical units -> TATC
* Unlimited actions -> ToggleUnlimitedActions
* Toggle Fog of War -> ToggleFOW
* Toggle squad concealment -> ToggleSquadConcealment
* Add supplies -> GiveResource Supplies 500
* Add supplies from zero -> AddItem Supplies 500
* Add Elerium Cores -> AddItem EleriumCore 5
* Heal wounds -> HealAllSoldiers
* Clear WOTC Tired status -> MakeAllSoldiersReady
* Reduce core Avatar progress -> RemoveFortressDoom 1
* Skip startup movies -> -nostartupmovies
-= Current Steam and Save Quick Lookup =-
* Old 2K Launcher -> retired November 2024.
* Steam launch -> choose XCOM 2, War of the Chosen or a Mod Launcher.
* Multiplayer / online Challenge Mode -> retired on Windows Steam in March 2022.
* 0x0 launch resolution -> -Windowed -SizeX=1280 -SizeY=720
* Camera drift -> BaseEngine.ini: set AllowJoystickInput=0.
* Epic save/load fails offline -> run the Epic Games Launcher in Online mode.
* Steam Error Code 55 -> Betas: NONE, update Steam, restart, then launch.
* Base saves -> Documents\My Games\XCOM2\XComGame\SaveData\
* WOTC saves -> Documents\My Games\XCOM2 War of the Chosen\XComGame\SaveData\
 |
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CheatBook DataBase 2026 is a freeware cheat code tracker that makes hints, tips, tricks
and cheats (for PC Cheats, Walkthroughs, PSP, Sega, iPhone, Wii U, Playstation, Playstation
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N-Gage, Nintendo DS, gamecube, XBox 360, Dreamcast, Super Nintendo) easily
accessible from one central location. (Release date January 10, 2026)
- All Cheats and Codes inside from the first CHEATBOOK January 1998 until today.
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