Mario + Rabbids may have been the turn-based game to get the most attention at the big E3 press conferences, but it wasn't the only title representing the genre. Firaxis Games revealed a massive new XCOM 2 expansion, War of the Chosen, which is so large that it almost became XCOM 3.

War of the Chosen is an incredibly ambitious expansion that goes far beyond just adding a few new maps and skins to the existing game. This XCOM 2 DLC will include brand new features that are so complex that the development team actually thinks they could have been the basis for a full sequel.

Here is what Jake Solomon from Firaxis Games had to say about the scope of War of the Chosen and how close it came to becoming XCOM 3 instead of an expansion pack...

"We definitely talked about that... We have a lot of features that could have been the basis for a sequel, but for us a sequel also requires an entirely new narrative. ... We’re very systems-oriented and so, for us, this is an opportunity to make a new experience, a new game. But we’re not going to totally replace the narrative."

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The lengthly expansion will introduce three main enemy figureheads across the traditional storyline. Each new enemy has a distinct personality and fighting type that introduces an additional layer of complexity to the gameplay...

  • The Assassin utilizes a sword and is honor-bound to serve her creators
  • The Hunter is a long-rage attacker
  • The Warlock will use psionic abilities against XCOM forces

Although it would've been exciting to see a new numbered installment in the XCOM franchise, it seems like most fans are more than happy about diving into a lengthly new expansion instead. Both XCOM and XCOM 2 were very well received by critics, so hopefully the latest expansion follows in that same tradition.

What do you think of the first look at War of the Chosen? Do you plan to pick up the massive expansion? Let us know in the comments!

XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen will release on August 29, 2017 for PC. It’s not currently known if it will be available on console for the same date.

Source: Polygon