Xenonauts 2 1.0 is ready for deployment, and that's great news if you're a fan of classic XCOM

Xenonauts 2 developer Goldhawk Interactive has revealed that, after nearly three years in early access, the tactical strategy game will be throwing you out of the frying pan and into the fires of an Earth set ablaze by alien invasion next month. Alongside a brand new alien foe that will have your squadron moving like Ripley on the USCSS Nostromo, the 1.0 patch is also set to bring OG map reworks, extra robust modding support, and more.

As showcased during today’s Turn-Based Thursday Fest event, Xenonauts 2 1.0 is going big for what Goldhawk calls its seventh milestone. The headliner here is the introduction of alien praetorians, which already has me jonesing for an Alien rewatch. Though we won’t quite be seeing Ridley Scott’s Xenomorphs in-game, they’ll likely be adjacent to the equally-horrible Praetors from the original Xenonauts. To put into perspective how much these things sucked, they’d quite literally reduce your soldier’s actions from pure aura alone.

Xenonauts 2 has undergone plenty of design iterations throughout development. Goldhawk’s done anything but rest on its laurels when it comes to upgrading systems and reworking elements; Milestone 6’s air combat revamp brought with it a major facelift, for example. In 1.0, OG maps, the Farm and small UFO, have also gone under the knife, and I’m intrigued to see how they’ve turned out.

As we all know, mods are the lifeblood of pretty much any PC game, ever. Xenonauts ended up with a strong suite that included quality-of-life improvements, new ordnance, and even a community-made expansion. Though they’ve been absent from the sequel throughout early access, Goldhawk has confirmed that full Steam Workshop integration will be available with the full launch. Who knows? With a couple of tweaks we’ll maybe see Scott’s Praetorians after all.

The Xenonauts 2 1.0 release date is confirmed for Thursday, April 2, 2026. As it’s still in early access, you can pick it up on Steam, GOG, or the Epic Games store right now.

So, if you’re more X-COM than XCOM, and have been yearning for an experience more akin to MicroProse’s classics, rather than Firaxis’ modern take, Xenonauts 2 could be your next big binge. If unforgiving, bitter struggles against extraterrestrial forces are your forte, then mark your calendar.