For all those who inexplicably wake up, drenched in sweat, screaming “Game over, man! Game over!”, there’s fantastic (or foreboding) news. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is out on August 25th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC (with the Switch 2 version out this Fall), bringing the tense co-op shooting and terrifying hallway crawls back about five years after the original. Aside from 15 new missions, significant weapon changes, and cross-platform voice chat at launch, there is a lot to look forward to. Let’s start with a rather troubling revelation…
The Pathogen Returns
Very little is known about Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2’s plot, though you will return to the UAS Endeavor from the first game. And while narrative designer Jake Kriegman didn’t want to give too many details away, he told AVP Galaxy in a recent interview at SDCC 2026 that the pathogen is back. What pathogen? Oh, just the one that mutated the Xenomorphs on LV-895, resulting in untold horrors. It apparently holds the key to connecting both games, so finding out the “how” and “why” could form the crux of the Colonial Marines’ latest excursion.
Less Than Silent Observer
A big change from the original is that your Marine is now more vocal. Instead of simply calling out certain things in missions, they’ll now speak to NPCs on the Endeavor, and even banter among each other. It may even add a bit more charm to the cutscenes, seeing as we’re going from a silent protagonist to a bona fide Marine (with hopefully enough quips to bear).
Appearance Customization
The character customization has also seen upgrades with separate lower and upper-body options, helmets, and a range of decals for decorating equipment (including a colorway for the chest armor). Even your guns can look incredibly distinct with three decals, allowing for even more slick possibilities.
Hunter Class
We’ve already gone over all the new classes in Fireteam Elite 2 and how they’re effectively evolutions over the previous game. While we’re yet to dive deep into the Medic, the Hunter’s kit has finally been revealed. Wielding a railgun and particle emitter as its signature weapons, it also has a Particle Pulse that can be upgraded into a beam or a Cryo Pulse to slow enemies. Meanwhile, the Stasis Bolt further encumbers them and increases damage dealt. If you’re a fan of weak point damage, then No Rest is the perk for you, while No Mercy increases stopping power for the same.
Machinist Class
But that’s not all, as even the Machinist has finally been detailed. As an evolution of the Technician, you have the plasma emitter and plasma discharger as signature weapons alongside a Sentry Turret, which can be upgraded into a Gas Turret or a Rumble Turret to slow enemies. Your Bodyguard Drone can either dish out artillery or shred enemies, and Perks like Cross-Platform Synergy let you provide much-needed damage resistance and healing for teammates near your turrets.
Alpha and Beta, Meet Gamma
Veterans from the first game will remember that it didn’t always send you out to die alone. If no other players were available, the AI-controlled Synths named Alpha and Beta would join the fray, sometimes for the worse in Hardcore Mode with friendly fire on. Well, they’re back and now have defined roles. Alpha fights at mid-range while Beta stays even further back with a sniper. They’re also joined by Gamma, who’s described as the “nutcase” that keeps a shotgun for close encounters.
Three Enemy Factions
What would an Aliens game be without a variety of live targets? In keeping with offering the same number of missions as the first game and its expansion combined, Fireteam Elite 2 also includes all their enemy types: Xenomorphs, Pathogen-Mutated Organisms and the Weyland-Yutani Combat Synths.
New Enemy Types
But while you’ll be spraying and shooting against familiar threats, several new types have been added to the mix. The Harbinger, for example, is a Pathogen-Mutated Organism with multiple arms and an enormous mouth, capable of chasing and pinning Marines. The Xenomorph Siren functions to alert nearby allies, so you’d best take it down quick. Even the Synths brought some backup with the Bulwark Automaton, which boasts heavy armor and can knock players down up close.
Difficulty Changes
Of course, how easy of a time you have will depend on the difficulty as much as your teammates. Casual, Standard, and Intense return as the default difficulties alongside Extreme and Insane, which should once again require completing the campaign to unlock, as before. However, they don’t play the same as before. On the higher end, friendly fire is still a thing, but abilities can also hit allies. Ammo boxes also have a limited supply of ammo, and while enemies have less health, you can expect higher Threat Level enemies to appear in greater numbers.
Crouching
Reviving allies and meleeing enemies who get too close are tenets of the core gameplay, but Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 adds a completely understated new tactic: Crouching. Yes, it may seem simple at first, but it opens up a whole new dimension of combat at higher difficulties, since ducking beneath friendly fire means more ways to control chokepoints without the frustration of hurting your teammates. Just don’t turn into too much of a sitting duck for the Xenomorphs.
Elemental Damage and New Types
Incendiary and Electric damage from the original return, once again bringing damage over time and stuns to enemies while offering varying degrees of effectiveness (Xenomorphs canonically hate fire, for example). However, Cryo rounds have also been added to the mix, freezing enemies for maximum crowd control potential, while Piercing damage is great for getting through armor. Interestingly, it seems there are other types to look forward to in the late game, including Morphic damage.
New Horde Mode Maps
Horde Mode returns and this time, it offers three brand-new maps – Blacksite, Crash Landed and Crusher. Each offers a distinct experience, whether it’s a more open space to fight in or numerous floors that maintain the claustrophobic hallways, recreating that classic Alien feel. You may even find a few cinematic references here and there.
Horde Mode Changes
Of course, Cold Iron Studios has fundamentally changed how Horde Mode plays. Challenge Cards are available from the outset, and all of them will be activated in a match. Also, rounds now consist of five increasingly difficult waves, though you can always continue fighting for the chance of better rewards. With all factions randomly thrown into the mix, this is the mode where coordination and min-maxing will truly shine.
PC Requirements
In terms of hardware required on PC, you’ll need an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or an Intel Core i5-8400 with, oddly enough, 10 GB of RAM and an Nvidia RTX 2060 at the very minimum. This allows for 1080p/30 FPS gameplay on the Low setting. Recommended specs include Ryzen 5 5600G or a Core i5-12600, 16 GB RAM and a Radeon 6700 or an RTX 3070 for 1080p/60 FPS on High settings. Overall, not too shabby, but regardless of your configuration, 35 GB of installation space is mandatory.
Rain’s Jackson’s Star Pack
Perhaps the strangest part about Fireteam Elite 2 is that it has DLC that isn’t included with the Premium Edition. And this isn’t extra missions or such – instead, the Rain’s Jackson’s Star Pack, which costs $9.99, adds a modified Pulse Rifle with an underbarrel that deals Cryo damage and a Colony outfit inspired by Marie Raines Carradine from Alien: Romulus. There’s also, as Steam describes it, “a full loadout of traits, perks, augments, decals, and colorways.” Maybe these are early unlocks for traits, perks and Augments already in the game, but we’ll have to wait and find out.
