Play Order
0 / 6 playedOriginals plus reboot in release order.
Original era
Reboot era
About XCOM
XCOM splits into the 1990s originals and the Firaxis reboot. UFO Defense in 1994 plus Terror from the Deep in 1995 set base Geoscape loops, while Apocalypse in 1997 closes the first invasion line. Enemy Unknown in 2012 reboots the invasion with classes and permadeath, Enemy Within in 2013 adds mechs and genes, and XCOM 2 in 2016 plus War of the Chosen in 2017 flips to resistance offense.
Chimera Squad from 2020 follows mixed squads after the war as a smaller bridge. Play one era straight through rather than mixing decades, since systems and canon reset between them. New players often start with Enemy Unknown for modern tutorials or UFO Defense for the original tension.
Good to know
Release order keeps invasion reveals intact inside each era. Play UFO Defense before Terror from the Deep, and Enemy Unknown before XCOM 2, since sequels assume prior losses. Interceptor and Enforcer spin-offs stay optional outside tactics order. Treat Chimera Squad as an epilogue after War of the Chosen, with no XCOM 3 dated and the run closed for now.
