This past weekend, during our panel at PAX South, we revealed details on our partnership with Long War Studios. LWS will produce three unique mods for XCOM 2, all available for free at launch. The mods are as follows:

SMG-series Weapon Mod

This mod adds three new Submachine Gun-type weapons, one for each of XCOM 2’s three weapon tiers: conventional, magnetic and beam. SMGs offer bonus mobility, concealment and close-range accuracy when compared to the Assault Rifle, but at a penalty to damage output and long-range accuracy.

Muton Centurion Mod

This mod adds a new alien unit to XCOM 2: the Muton Centurion. This Muton leader is stronger than the base Muton and has the ability to grant bonuses to other alien units. These units are easily identified by their red armor and special face mask.

XCOM Leader Mod

This mod adds a special “Leader” upgrade path for XCOM soldiers. Leaders, which may be unlocked via an upgrade to the Guerilla Tactics School, draw from a pool of ten new abilities. Each Leader may learn up to five of these skills. Only one Leader may be taken on a mission at a time.

All three of these mods will be available free of charge. For more information on mod support, watch the VOD of our PAX South panel below. You will be able to download and install these mods, and more, through Steam Workshop when XCOM 2 launches on February 5.