Inside Irrational Games' Unfinished XCOM FPS Project

Irrational Games' ambitious attempt to create an XCOM first-person shooter faced numerous challenges before being reimagined as The Bureau: XCOM Declassified.

The project aimed to transform the turn-based XCOM strategy game into a first-person shooter, emphasizing squad management and large-scale alien battles.
Initial concepts included fighting massive alien creatures, inspired by Shadow of the Colossus and Starship Troopers, but were deemed too divergent from the XCOM essence.
Prototypes explored different gameplay styles, such as a tactical shooter with a turn-based feel and an asymmetrical multiplayer mode featuring playable aliens.
Setbacks included difficulties in integrating the Australian and Boston teams and a lack of clear direction, leading to the departure of key developers.
The project was eventually rebooted by 2K Marin as The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, while Firaxis' XCOM: Enemy Unknown achieved critical success.