Hey, did you know that it's been nearly seven years since we last got a truly awesome Aliens game? No, really, Isolation came out way back in 2014. Though Aliens: Fireteam Elite promises to be the Aliens to Isolation's Alien, we still find ourselves exceedingly excited about the prospect of a genuinely good Xenomorph shooter. Could this be it? We think so!

Basically a third-person cooperative survival shooter, Aliens: Fireteam Elite promises a gameplay experience we all know and love. Think Left 4 Dead, World War Z, or Generation Zero, to an extent. Add Xenomorph (and Xenomorph-adjacent) lifeforms to the mix, and voilà! Of course, there's more to Fireteam Elite than just that. We aim to cover all of its core components with our overview, and all you need to do is to scroll ahead.

Pre-order Aliens: Fireteam Elite to get the Hardened Marine cosmetics pack for free!

Aliens: Fireteam Elite PC Release Date

First things first - Aliens: Fireteam Elite is set to launch later this year, on August 24. There's been no word on any early access beta testing phases, though we don't expect that the game needs them. This is, after all, a purely cooperative multiplayer shooter, which means that it's unlikely to need the same curative process as, say, Battlefield 2042 is bound to need.

To that end, we're also reasonably sure that the game won't be getting any pushbacks at this point. From what gameplay we've seen, it all looks neat and polished already. It is also genuine gameplay footage we've seen, so no CGI nonsense with Fireteam Elite, we're happy to say.

Now, it's a bit of a given that there's an awful lot of suspicion surrounding the Alien franchise at this point. Its releases have historically been rather... rocky. However, we will point out that there are two aspects of this franchise that both need to be catered to. First is that of horror - Alien, Alien: Isolation. The second is that of action - Aliens, AVP titles. It's pretty clear which niche Fireteam Elite's hoping to fit into, and we're perfectly fine with that.

Pre-Order Content

As with any modern release, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, too, features a comprehensive pre-order content plan for early adopters. Here's what you get if you splurge early:

• Bandana character accessory
• Digital Red Camo weapon skin
• 3x weapon Decal accessories
• Chestburster emote

We're reasonably sure that this content will be made available post-launch, though no word on how or when that might be.

Deluxe Edition Content

Remarkably, Fireteam Elite only has one special edition currently available, and if you aim to go all-in, here's what that gets you:

• Heirloom Standoff pump-action shotgun
• 5x movie-themed Armor Kit skins
• 5x elite movie-themed Armor Kit skins
• 3x character helmet customization items
• Chrome Plated weapon skin
• 3x Digital Camo weapon skins
• Caution Stripe weapon Decal accessory
• Salute emote
• Look Into My Eye emote
• 9 randomized Challenge Cards

A hefty chunk of content, isn't it? Note that all of the above is, in fact, featured as part of the 'Endeavor Veteran Pack' DLC, which will also likely be made available as an upgrade post-launch. Note that the Deluxe Edition also includes the so-called Endeavor Pass - more on that below.

Cosmetic DLC & Season Pass Info

Finally, Fireteam Elite is going to feature a fully-fledged Season Pass for customization-oriented players.  According to what information we've got, this Endeavor Pass will feature 4 separate content seasons, which will be launched alongside major content releases for the game. Note, however, that cosmetics will be paid, whereas actual content will be dropped into the game - for free. Neat!

The Gameplay of Fireteam Elite - How Does It Work?

Aliens: Fireteam Elite is - much as its title implies - a cooperative bug-hunt. Players will take up arms as the crew of USS Endeavor, and then proceed with exterminating nests after nests of Xenomorph infections across the sector. If, naturally, they survive their very first encounter with them in the first place. The game is set about 23 years after the original Aliens trilogy, and it seems like it's finally going to move the narrative forward. If nothing else, at least the Colonial Marines are finally acutely aware of the threat.

According to sources, Fireteam Elite will feature four separate campaigns with three missions each for USS Endeavor to go through, each of them featuring a unique twist of this or that kind. Note that we've already spotted a few Neomorph-looking creatures during gameplay. On top of that, certain sections are clearly set in Engineer facilities - a love letter to the franchise's remarkably rich history and lore. So, Fireteam Elite aims to take us places we've not yet visited, and we're happy to oblige.

Single-Player Gameplay

For those of us who might not have three extra players at hand to run through Aliens: Fireteam Elite, we're happy to report that the game will feature bots if needed. To that end, the game will likely function much as World War Z functions, except with extra progression systems and a wider variety of objectives to pursue.

Why isn't this a first-person game?

Some players have noted that the decision to go third-person with Fireteam Elite is confusing, but we're keen on this switcheroo. Though it won't feature microtransactions, the game will place a marked emphasis on customization and character individualization, so it makes sense for the character to be visible this time.

Xenomorph Types

Now - onto the fun stuff. Fireteam Elite is going to feature a whopping 11 unique Xenomorph variants. No, really. Though developers have only shown off the six-or-so baseline creatures so far, there's clearly a lot going on behind the scenes. Keep in mind that the game will feature 20 enemies in total, too, so it's not just these dome-headed biomechs that we'll be killing, far as we could tell. Given that we've seen neomorph variants - even if only for a split second - there's much to look forward to.

Character Classes & Customization

Fireteam Elite is going to let you build and customize your own Colonial Marine using a wealth of options. A major driver when it comes to actual gameplay, though, will be your Marine's Class. Namely, we've got five major specializations for you to choose from:

• Gunner
• Demolisher
• Doc
• Recon
• Technician

These subclasses will be further customized using the so-called 'Perk Board' system, though it's not yet been shown off in action. Even further modification of the core gameplay loop will be provided by the aforementioned Challenge Cards, which we suspect are essentially mutators. We'll need to wait and see how all these systems mesh and interconnect, but so far, the whole setup seems remarkably promising.

Weapons & Gear

Strangely enough, we've been made aware of the notion that the Aliens franchise isn't particularly lenient when it comes to firearm customization. This is an odd take, we feel, but it becomes even weirder when you consider that Fireteam Elite makes slight changes to weapon designs so that they function better as actual modular combat platforms.

Developers cite over 30 weapons with more than 70 attachments to choose from. That's... a lot. Certainly a respectable arsenal, in our book. Courtesy of IGN, we've seen six stellar examples already:

• M41A2 Pulsegun
• DT-57 Medved Shotgun
• T78 Burst Pistol
• L56A3 Smartgun
• M42A3 Sniper Rifle
• OCAP-91 Volcan Flamethrower

Guns look great, fit into the universe, and come with modification systems to foster improved in-game progression. Works for us.

This can all neatly be explained by the fact that the crew of USS Endeavor uses cutting-edge gear that has progressed over the course of two decades since Alien 3, of course.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite PC System Requirements

As of right now (August 9, 2021), we do not know anything about Aliens: Fireteam Elite's PC spec requirements. We're leaving appropriate sections in place for an upcoming update, however - stay tuned!

Minimum Spec

• TBA

Recommended Spec

• TBA

Final Remarks

And there you have it - a comprehensive, yet reasonably short overview of everything we know about Aliens: Fireteam Elite so far. The game is set and primed to hit our store on August 24th.

Great news for those of you with a full fireteam's worth of players ready to go - the game is not going to be a fully-priced AAA title. In fact, you can snag a copy right this instant at 17% off, which puts it right at about €33.08. With the amount of content promised, that sounds like a pretty great deal. Doubly so for fans of the franchise!

We'll update this article with new info as we get it, but in the meantime, are you as excited about Fireteam Elite as we are? Are we going to be seeing you aboard the USS Endeavor? If so - good luck, and happy hunting.