Firaxis, 2K Games reveal XCOM: Enemy Unknown port for iOS

XCOM's developers spoke with Joystiq on Saturday after revealing the iOS port of the award-winning strategy game during a PAX East panel. The iOS version of XCOM, they said, will arrive fully intact, with all the features available on its PC and console counterparts.

"It is a straight port," XCOM lead designer Jake Solomon said. "We have not made any gameplay exceptions. You play the exact same game... it's just now fully playable on an iPhone or an iPad."

XCOM: Enemy Unknown — an updated version of a series that began with 1994's UFO: Enemy Unknown — puts the player in control of an elite division formed to counter an invading alien force. In addition to equipping and controlling XCOM soldiers in the field, players handle the financial, political, and research aspects of the division, with permanent results stemming from their decisions.

The turn-based strategy game debuted to rave reviews for its PC and console versions. 2K Games' PAX East iOS announcement also came with a release date for the Mac version of the game. Mac gamers will get their port on April 24. The iOS version is expected to arrive some time over the summer.

The game's developers stressed that XCOM on iOS will be a premium product and priced accordingly.

"It's going to be priced appropriately for what it is," Solomon said. "It's going to be a premium price point. It is the game. It is the full game."