Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 launches August 25 with four-player squads and $50 price tag
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 has a release date: August 25, 2026, on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Cold Iron Studios and publisher Daybreak — under parent company EG7 — confirmed the date alongside pre-order details and a look at what's changing from the 2021 co-op shooter. Pre-orders are live now across all platforms.
The price
This is a mid-market (AA) release, priced below the current AAA standard. The Standard Edition costs $50; the Premium Edition is $70 and bundles three cosmetic packs tied to the Alien franchise's 40th anniversary:
- Herk's Mondo Pest Pack - Ripley's Hive Exterminator Pack - Rain's Jackson's Star Pack
If you go with the standard version and change your mind, each pack can be bought separately for $20. Regional pricing in GBP and EUR has not been announced; expect standard Steam regional conversion to apply.
What's new
The core loop stays familiar — squads drop into xenomorph-infested colony zones and fight their way out. The biggest structural change is squad size, which expands from three to four players. Cold Iron is also adding a new Specialist class that can mix and match major and minor abilities from any class in the roster, giving it a hybrid flexibility the original lacked.
Beyond that, the studio promises a more deliberate progression system, improved technical performance, and new class options. The original 2021 game earned a modest reception, and the sequel is a direct attempt to address the depth and longevity complaints that followed it.
Fireteam Elite 2 lands in a crowded co-op shooter space — Deep Rock Galactic and Warhammer 40,000: Darktide both have established player bases, and the appetite for premium-priced multiplayer games has been tested hard since the collapse of higher-profile titles. The Alien IP is the clearest differentiator, and the $50 entry price keeps it below most major releases.
The August 25 date was confirmed via the Steam store page and the official game account; major English-language outlets are currently citing "late Q3 2026" without pinning the specific date. Cross-play details and a post-launch content roadmap have not been disclosed.
