2K Announces The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, Launches August 20th

As promised, 2K Games has re-announced 2K Marin’s long-overdue XCOM shooter today, revealing that the game will now launch on August 20, 2013 in North America (August 23rd internationally) under the new title The Bureau: XCOM Declassified.

Set in 1962 during the the Cold War, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified has undergone several changes since we first saw it back at E3 2011. The game tells the origin story of XCOM’s first encounter with the mysterious and hostile aliens. The Bureau was originally established to covertly combat the Russian Soviet Union, but they have now been retasked with fighting this new enemy threat. Players take on the role of special agent William Carter, as they use squad-based tactics to first repel the aliens, and then cover-up the enemy’s existence in order to prevent a worldwide panic.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified uses a “calculated combat design” that requires players to think tactically, rather than rush in guns blazing. The game will use a third-person perspective to give players “a sense of spatial awareness,” as they seamlessly transition in and out of Carter’s “Battle Focus” ability. Additionally, 2K Marin promises that The Bureau will “fully [embrace] the concept of permanent consequence,” and hints that any member of Carter’s squad can die depending on the player’s actions.

As part of today’s announcement, 2K Marin released a live-action trailer of The Bureau and two in-game screenshots — both of which can been viewed below.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is currently set to launch on August 20, 2013 in North America for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Take a look at all the new assets for the shooter below, and check back with WGTC for more coverage on the game as we get closer to its release date.

Full press release below:

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Available August 20

Call the shots, pull the trigger, and erase the truth in the origin story of XCOM

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apr. 26, 2013– 2K and 2K Marin, makers of BioShock® 2, announced today that The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will be released on August 20, 2013 in North America and August 23, 2013 internationally for $59.99 SRP on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. XCOM: Enemy Unknown, developed by Firaxis Games, dazzled turn-based strategy fans and rebooted the classic franchise. Now The Bureau will deliver a new experience within the XCOM universe.

Set in 1962 at the height of the Cold War, The Bureau tells the origin story of the clandestine XCOM organization’s first encounter with a mysterious and devastating enemy. Originally established as America’s covert defense against the Soviet Union, The Bureau must adapt and overcome a threat unlike anything the world has faced before. As special agent William Carter, players will call the shots and pull the trigger, leading their squad of agents in the high-stakes secret war for humanity’s survival. Paramount to repelling the outside threat is The Bureau’s ability to cover-up the enemy’s existence in order to prevent worldwide panic.

“We’re thrilled about 2K Marin’s refined vision for The Bureau: XCOM Declassified,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “The game has evolved through a creative and iterative development process, and the result is a narrative-driven experience that is smart, engaging, and challenges players to think tactically.”

“The Bureau tells the story of XCOM’s mysterious beginnings,” added Morgan Gray, creative director at 2K Marin. “We’re expanding the universe with a declassified tale of government conspiracy and heroic cover-ups told through third-person tactical gameplay.”

In the spirit of the XCOM franchise, The Bureau’s calculated combat design requires players to think and act tactically. The game’s third-person perspective gives the player a sense of spatial awareness and grants them the freedom to transition in and out Carter’s unique Battle Focus ability seamlessly – heightening the tactical shooter action. The Bureau also fully embraces the concept of permanent consequence. As our last line of defense, every command can mean the difference between life and death for Carter, his squad and mankind.

“The team has been working hard to leverage core XCOM elements like tactical decision-making and permanent death of squad mates in a purposeful way that makes this a unique tactical shooter,” concluded Gray. “To that end, The Bureau will challenge players unlike any other third-person tactical shooter.”

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified can be pre-ordered today at all participating retailers. Those who pre-order will receive the Codebreakers side-mission as a bonus. In this special campaign side-mission, a communications facility responsible for intercepting and interpreting the enemy’s transmissions has gone dark. Special Agent Carter and his squad must make contact with any remaining personnel and investigate the incident.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information, please visit Facebook, or the official web site: http://erasethetruth.com.

2K Marin is a 2K studio. 2K is a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

About The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

The year is 1962, JFK is President and the Cold War has the nation gripped by fear – but a far more powerful and insidious enemy than communism is threatening America. Known only to a select few, a top-secret government unit called The Bureau begins investigating and concealing a series of mysterious attacks by an otherworldly enemy. As special agent William Carter, players call the shots, pull the trigger and lead their squad in a gripping third-person tactical shooter set within a high-stakes, covert war to protect humanity. The Bureau has been erasing the truth for decades. The time will come for the truth to be revealed.