XCOM: Long War makers announce Terra Invicta

The developers of XCOM: Long War, a mod for XCOM: Enemy Unknown which adds numerous additional features and new content, have announced that they have launched a studio to build a stand-alone title: Terra Invicta.

One of the most popular mods for Firaxis' XCOM: Enemy Unknown and compatible with the offiical Enemy Within expansion, XCOM: Long War adds new technologies, equipment, perks, campaign missions, and features to the game with a view to make the experience last longer. The mod, previously available in beta form, proved so popular and adds so much content that XCOM's lead designer Jake Solomon famously described the main game as 'basically a 20-hour tutorial for Long War, and that's okay.' The 1.0 release, uploaded earlier this week, represents the final version for one very good reason: the team is going on to build a first-party game under newly-formed outfit Long War Studios.

Dubbed Terra Invicta, the plot of the group's next release will sound familiar to XCOM fans: the player is put in charge of assembling a council of scientists, politicians, military leaders, and special operatives who need to secure the cooperation of the globe's nations in order to fight off an alien invasion fleet. As well as defending the planet, players will be able to fight back with 'the ultimate goal of taking the fight to the aliens in the high ground of outer space.'

The company has confirmed that it plans to turn to crowd-funding to provide the cash required to develop the title, announcing a Kickstarter campaign due to begin early next year. More information is available on the official website.