Firaxis unveils new XCOM 2 enemy: "the Faceless"

YouTube

2K Games has posted a video of the Firaxis Mega Panel recorded at PAX Prime 2015, in which XCOM 2 Creative Director Jake Solomon and Art Director Greg Foertsch, and Civilization: Beyond Earth—Rising Tide Co-Lead Designers Will Miller and David McDonough discuss their approaches to design, and show off a little bit of what's new in each game. The best part? A fun little segment at the end of the video that reveals a brand-new XCOM 2 enemy called "the Faceless."

There's a lot of good stuff in the video for fans of both series, but for my money—since I'm currently in the midst of my first-ever playthrough of XCOM: Enemy Unknown—it's the discussion of the bad guys in XCOM 2 that really sells it. Mutons are even bigger and brawnier than they appeared when we first laid eyes on them in July, and the fan-favorite Chryssalid has been "improved" as well with the ability to burrow underground and then spring out to attack resistance fighters who wander too close. It's basically a land mine that turns people into zombies.

As for the Faceless, we don't know much beyond they're not lookers. None of the panelists say anything about the creature beyond the name, but it appears to be some kind of shapeshifter or bodysnatcher.

Civilization: Beyond Earth—Rising Tide comes out on October 9, XCOM 2 comes out on February 5, 2016, and the second annual Firaxicon fan convention happens on October 3. Did you miss out on PAX Prime this year? Catch up on our coverage right here.

PRODUCTS

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.