Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 Brings Horde Mode and New Specialist Class on August 25

Cold Iron Studios and publisher Daybreak have confirmed that Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 - a buy-to-play four-player co-op PvE shooter - launches August 25 on Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5, priced at $49.99 for the base game.

The sequel to Cold Iron's 2021 co-op shooter arrives with a cosmetics layer built in from day one. A 40th Anniversary Premium Edition retails at $69.99 and includes Ripley and Herk Mondo-themed outfits, weapons, and decals. A standalone $9.99 pack covers Rain Carradine's outfit and rifle for players who want a single cosmetic bundle without upgrading editions. The tiered cosmetic structure is fairly standard for the genre - comparable to how live games like World of Warcraft handles cosmetic reward tiers - but the entry price staying under $50 should ease some of the initial friction.

On the content side, AFE2 adds a horde mode and the new Specialist class, described as a fully customizable option that lets players mix and match major and minor abilities across all available classes - a direct answer to criticism that the original's build variety was shallow. The official Steam description frames the game as a fight-for-survival experience with smarter enemy AI, deeper squad mechanics, and escalating encounters.

Daybreak was last reported to be in the process of acquiring Cold Iron Studios, so the corporate situation bears watching post-launch when the studio's roadmap and post-launch content cadence become clearer.

Further reading: Aliens Fireteam Elite 2 launch details via MassivelyOP