XCOM: Enemy Unknown coming to Linux, SteamOS this summer

XCOM: Enemy Unknown missile attack

Long-suffering Linux gamers will get a nice treat later this summer as XCOM: Enemy Unknown will finally make its way to the platform, in a bundle including all add-on content and the Enemy Within expansion. The "new" game is being developed by Feral Interactive, which until now has worked exclusively on games for Apple platforms (including the OS X version of XCOM), as its debut Linux project.

“We're thrilled to have been given the opportunity to bring XCOM : Enemy Unknown to Linux,” Feral Interactive Managing Director David Stephen said. “It's an amazing game and we are hopeful that Linux gamers will welcome this addition to their platform.”

The Linux version of XCOM: Enemy Unknown will be a SteamPlay title running under Ubuntu 14.04 and SteamOS , and will include the original game plus the Slingshot and Elite Soldier DLC packs. More significantly, it also includes the XCOM: Enemy Within expansion that adds new base facilities, weapons, research projects, upgrades, and of course plenty of new and interesting ways to die at the hands of the rapacious alien invaders.

There's no release date or pricing info yet, but as a SteamPlay title, those who already own the game on Windows or Mac should automatically have access to the Linux version once it's out. There's also a pretty cool trailer heralding the game's announcement, which is perhaps a bit more action-packed than the actual game, but I don't think XCOM is really a secret at this point; if you're buying it for Linux, the odds are pretty good that you already know what you're in for. In the meantime, you can find out a little bit more about what's coming (and listen to some ominously moody background music) at Feral Interactive's XCOM page .

Andy Chalk

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.