XCOM 2 has been available on Steam from the beginning, but seven years later, it's suddenly being sold at a colossal discount. It isn't the first time the popular tactical RPG underwent a steep price drop this year, as the PlayStation Store offered a similar deal just four months ago.
The XCOM we know today is actually a 2012 reboot of a cult classic sci-fi franchise that began in 1994. Developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K Games, XCOM 2 is the second in this rebooted series, acclaimed for its difficulty curve, procedurally-generated maps, and evolution of its predecessor's gameplay. Known for its substantial modding scene to this day, the game has proven popular enough to receive releases on various platforms as recently as 2021.
As seen on the Steam store, XCOM 2 by itself has seen a temporary 90% price drop from $59.99 (US) to a measly $5.99. Alternatively, there's the XCOM: Ultimate Collection, which includes both XCOM 2 and the first game, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, alongside its own expansion, Enemy Within, and many of the second game's expansion packs. This would undoubtedly be a sweet deal for beginners who have yet to dip their toes into XCOM. And finally, there's the XCOM 2 Collection, which only includes XCOM 2 and several of its own DLC. Neither collection includes all the DLC packs, sadly, but they too have seen a substantial price drop. Regardless, this deal is in effect until May 12.
All of the individual pieces of DLC can still be purchased standalone, but most of them do not have individual price cuts. The only exception is War of the Chosen, which has been reduced from $39.99 to $3.99 (US). Ultimate Collection is available for $19.84 and the XCOM 2 Collection is available for $8.17, both having been reduced by more than 90%. It isn't the first time this game has been sold for such a steal, though it still doesn't top the deal offered by the Epic Games Store last year.
Discounts like these are usually done to promote a game to newer, more skeptical players, but it's unusual for such a major bargain to occur three times for the same game in such a short span of time. Especially since in this case, its follow-up, XCOM: Chimera Squad, has been out since 2020. Perhaps these back-to-back sales could be a sign of an impending announcement for a proper third game, although the recent departure of one of XCOM 2's top developers does leave the quality of this hypothetical sequel up to question.
XCOM 2 is available for Android, iOS, PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: Steam