• XCOM on the run: Take command of the Avenger, an alien supply craft converted to XCOM’s mobile headquarters. New open-ended gameplay lets you decide where to guide your strike team, how to grow popular support, and when to combat enemy counter-operations.
• Recruit Resistance Fighters: Five soldier classes, each with its own skill tree, let you create specific soldiers for your tactical plan.
• Tactical guerrilla combat: New gameplay systems offer more tactical flexibility in combat. Use concealment to ambush enemy patrols. Loot enemies for precious gear and artifacts. Rescue VIPs and save fallen comrades by carrying them to the extraction point.
• A new breed of enemy: A diverse cast of enemies from powerful new alien species to the ADVENT, enforcers of the alien regime, offer a distinct tactical challenge.

• Research, develop and upgrade: Configure and build rooms on the Avenger to give XCOM new capabilities on the battlefield. Use your Scientists and Engineers to research, develop and upgrade weapons and armor to fit your preferred tactics.
• Each mission is a unique challenge: Go on missions around the world, from wildlands to the heart of the alien-controlled megacities, to the depths of alien installations. There are virtually infinite combinations of maps, missions and goals.
• Engage in cross-platform multiplayer on Steam: Mix-and-match squads of humans and aliens and battle head-to-head on randomly-generated maps across Mac, Linux and Windows.
• Take advantage of mods: Play with mods that add further variety to every game element, from campaigns and tactics to aliens and classes.