XCOM 2 WOTC Enemy Within

⚠️ CRITICAL NOTICE: ALPHA TESTING PHASE
This mod is currently in its Alpha stage. It is a work-in-progress, experimental build. You will encounter bugs, placeholder assets, and balance issues. Mechanics, mission structures, and narrative elements are subject to drastic changes. Play at your own risk, and please report feedback to help us shape the final vision!

About the Mod
The war with ADVENT was just a prelude. The true threat has always lived among us, pulling the strings from the highest seats of power.

In this dark, overhaul convergence of universes, XCOM faces its ultimate reckoning. The Council of Humanity has fractured, revealing the terrifying influence of EXALT-an elite, transhuman faction that doesn’t just cooperate with the Elders, but worships them as the divine Watchers.

As the Commander, you are thrust into a secret war of psychological dread and existential horror. Uncover a multi-layered narrative deeply woven into the tragic lore of NieR, where ancient directives collide with modern warfare. You will face threats that defy human comprehension, and every truth you uncover will only reveal a deeper, more terrifying lie.

I want to emphasize the core philosophy behind this project: This is a NieR-inspired mod, but it functions primarily as a massive, carefully crafted lore reference (Easter Egg).

It DOES NOT seek to rewrite or break the original plot and canon of either universe. Instead of creating contradictions, this mod aims to naturally fill the existing "lore gaps" and unanswered questions already present in the vanilla games.

For example, look at this official audio log from the base game:

[T_Shen_AlienSightings_Synthoid AkEvent]

SpokenText="This thing looks like some sort of android, an advancement of their earlier biomechanical developments."

Vanilla XCOM already leaves crumbs about androids and unexplained biomechanical advancements. My mod simply steps into those exact narrative blanks, connecting the dots in a way that respects the boundaries of both franchises without breaking the rules of either world.

Any references to Half-Life (such as the current "Metro Police" units) are purely a visual homage or "cosplay." They have absolutely no narrative or lore connection to the Half-Life universe. I plan to replace these models with original XCOM-style units in the near future, though I will keep the cosmetic customization available so you can continue using them as "civilian security officers" if you wish.

🌐 EXALT INFANTRY: THE TRANSHUMAN ESCALATION
EXALT’s human forces are the visible hand of a silent master. The deeper XCOM pushes, the less “human” their operatives appear-and the more their augmentations whisper of a technology that predates even the Elder War. Their ranks represent a biological escalation: from the peak of unaugmented humanity, to the super-soldiers that form their iron core, to the ancient horrors waiting inside the elite.

EXALT VOLUNTEERS & METRO POLICE
(The Expendable Face)

The street-level enforcers of the New Cities. They are the face of EXALT’s order-and the first to break when XCOM strikes. Their augmentations are minimal, their loyalty enforced by doctrine rather than biology.

EXALT Volunteer: The basic grunt in Kevlar, wielding standard surplus SMGs. Their purpose is simple: hold the line long enough for the true soldiers to arrive, and die so the higher echelons don’t have to.

EXALT Metro Police: Armed with SMGs and brutal Stun Batons for crowd control, these officers keep the civilian population pacified. But they are the weakest link in the chain. Their fear is palpable the moment XCOM breaches their perimeter.

EXALT SPECIAL OPERATIONS
(The Peak of Human Potential)

These are the best of the best-humans, in the purest sense of the word. They have undergone extensive genetic therapy, neural boosters, and bio-enhancements, pushing the human body to its absolute physiological limit without crossing the line into the inhuman. They are the scalpel, not the hammer. Surgically precise, utterly silent, they exist to eliminate high-value targets and vanish before reinforcements can arrive. They wield phase-shift modules, advanced stealth systems, and weapons designed for a single purpose: certainty. No prolonged firefights. Only precision. Only silence.

EXALT REGULAR FORCES
(The Iron Core)

This is the backbone of EXALT’s military occupation-and the point where the word human no longer applies. These soldiers are not merely augmented; they have been genetically rewritten. Meld-integrated, their physiology has been pushed into a new evolutionary bracket. Their reflexes are predatory, their durability far beyond normal biology, and their aggression borders on the feral. They are the anvil upon which XCOM breaks its spears.

EXALT Trooper (M2): Medium-plated armor, standard assault rifles, and utility grenades (smoke screens, firebombs, gas grenades). They are the anvil.

EXALT Sniper (M2): Equipped with Walker Servos to instantly seize high ground. They load AP, Incendiary, or Venom rounds to ensure that even a grazing shot is fatal.

EXALT Scout & Swordsman (M2): Light skirmishers carrying shotguns and blades. They use WraithMist modules to break line of sight and flank, and equip Stasis Vests or Talon Rounds to guarantee lethal criticals.

EXALT Grenadier (M2): Walking arsenals in heavy plated armor. They use Rocket Launchers and brutal grenade variants, with some wearing Hellweave armor-ensuring anyone foolish enough to strike them in melee burns alive.

EXALT ELITE FORCES (EGG SALT)

These are not merely soldiers. They are the military arm of the Council itself-an order of knights, elevated above the rank and file of ADVENT and EXALT alike. Their bodies have been sculpted by flesh-crafting into something far beyond human. They wear powered exoskeletons and wield weapons that can shred the heaviest XCOM armor, but the true power lies beneath the steel. They are ancient beings, housed within living vessels-echoes of a will that has long since ceased to be human.

The armor and the firepower are only the shell. The true horror lies within. When their biological vessel is destroyed, the containment fails, and what erupts from the shredded flesh is not a man, but the original entity-something far older and far more hostile than any weapon they carried.

They are the elite of the elite. The ones who rise above ADVENT. The ones who answer only to the Council itself-because they are the Council’s oldest and most loyal servants.

Special Acknowledgments & Credits
This project is a labor of love, built upon the shoulders of giants. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the creators whose incredible work made this universe possible:

Firaxis Games & 2K: For creating XCOM, providing the ultimate tactical sandbox, and fostering a community that allows modders to re-imagine the global war.

PlatinumGames & Square Enix: For the profound, haunting, and beautiful universe of NieR. Your storytelling, aesthetic, and lore serve as the core emotional heartbeat of this mod.

Valve Corporation: Special thanks for the iconic assets from the Half-Life universe, which have been invaluable in crafting our dystopian atmosphere and visual storytelling.