XCOM 2 cheats

XCOM 2 came out earlier this month to wide acclaim, but it's also generally considered to be a good deal trickier than the previous title in the series. Thankfully, and just like in the original modern reboot of XCOM, there's a host of console commands and cheat codes that you can make use of if you've hit a total brick wall in your progress.

While using any of the following console commands will no doubt cheapen your XCOM 2 experience, keep in mind that - at the time of publication at least - applying them will not prevent you from making progress towards your Achievements.

In order to use any of these XCOM 2 cheats, you'll first of all need to change the launch options for the game. To do this, go to your Steam Library, locate the game, then right-click on XCOM 2 and select Properties. From here, look for the little button marked "Set Launch Options". Click it, then copy and paste the following in:

-allowconsole -log -autodebug

Next, load up a game and hit the tilde key, which looks a bit like one of these: ~

From here, simply enter any of the codes included with this guide, and enjoy cheating your way to victory.

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Avenger Facility commands

You can use console commands to provide the Avenger with various Facilities nice and easily, but there's a special trick to positioning them. You need to imagine the Avenger's layout as a grid with three columns as multiple rows, using the following positioning references:

So, to place a PsiChamber in the middle slot on the second row, you would need to enter the command as BuildFacility PsiChamber 7.

Here's a list of all the currently known Facility console commands in the game. Keep in mind that using these commands will not clear out any Alien Debris clogging up the building site.

BuildFacility AdvancedWarfareCenter #

BuildFacility OfficerTrainingSchool #

BuildFacility PowerRelay #

BuildFacility ProvingGround #

BuildFacility PsiChamber #

BuildFacility ResistanceComms #

BuildFacility ShadowChamber #

BuildFacility UFODefense #

BuildFacility Workshop #

Scientist and Engineer commands

On the subject of the Avenger, there are a couple of commands you can enter to both gain more Scientists and Engineers, and also immediately boost them up to the desired level. The higher the rating you assign to them, the more effective they are at their jobs, i.e. the faster they are at completing building and research projects.

GiveScientist #

GiveEngineer #

Assigning Soldier classes

While you're back at base you can also change the class of any given Soldier. Here are the designations you can apply, but note that all reassigned Soldiers are automatically granted Squaddie status. In the SOLDIER NAME section, just use the first and last name of the Soldier in question - don't include their nickname.

MakeSoldierAClass "SOLDIER NAME" Grenadier

MakeSoldierAClass "SOLDIER NAME" PsiOperative

MakeSoldierAClass "SOLDIER NAME" Rookie

MakeSoldierAClass "SOLDIER NAME" Ranger

MakeSoldierAClass "SOLDIER NAME" Sharpshooter

MakeSoldierAClass "SOLDIER NAME" Specialist

Tech commands

If all of that research sounds like too much work, you can make use of a number of Tech-related shortcuts in XCOM 2. Entering the following commands will provide you with a quick and easy advantage when it comes to sharpening your Tech edge.

GiveTech AlienBiotech

GiveTech HybridMaterials

GiveTech MagneticWeapons

GiveTech ModularWeapons

GiveTech Psionics

GiveTech PlatedArmor

GiveTech ResistanceCommunications

GiveTech ResistanceRadio

General commands

The following general commands can be used to give yourself a ridiculously easy ride of things all throughout the game.

ForceCritHits - Crits for everyone! - including the enemy AI...

GiveActionPoints # - Adds # number of Action Points to the selected unit.

LevelUpBarracks # - Just add the number you wish to level up all the Soldiers in the Barracks by.

PowerUp - No damage taken and no weapon reload.

RemoveFortress Doom # - Remove # number of blocks from the Avatar Project status bar.

RestartLevel - Start the mission again from the very beginning.

TakeNoDamage - No damage taken.

Togglefow - Enables / disables mission fog of war.

ToggleSquadConcealment - Conceals / reveals your squad.

ToggleUnlimitedActions - Grants infinite Action Points to you and your enemy - disable before ending your turn.

ToggleUnlimitedAmmo - Grants infinite ammo to you and your enemy - disable before ending your turn.

WhoseTurnIsItAnyway - Enter at the start of a turn for unlimited moves.

Resources and Item console commands

There are many cheat codes you can enter to give yourself bonus items for absolutely zero effort, but the system can be a little bit unreliable. You might need to head into the missions select screen after entering the console command to see your ill-gotten goodies appear in the interface, for example.

Some players have also reported that you must first own at least one of each item in question for the GiveResource command to take effect. If that's the case, try replacing GiveResource with AddItem instead. This should force at least one of the items into your inventory.

Ammunition

GiveResource BluescreenRounds #

GiveResource IncendiaryRounds #

GiveResource TalonRounds #

GiveResource TracerRounds #

GiveResource VenomRounds #

GiveResource APRounds #

Armour

GiveResource HeavyPlatedArmor #

GiveResource LightPoweredArmor #

GiveResource LightPlatedArmor #

GiveResource LightPoweredArmor #

Corpses

GiveResource CorpseAdventOfficer #

GiveResource CorpseAdventShieldbearer #

GiveResource CorpseAdventStunLancer #

GiveResource CorpseAdventTrooper #

GiveResource CorpseArchon #

GiveResource CorpseBerserker #

GiveResource CorpseFaceless #

GiveResource CorpseSectoid #

GiveResource CorpseViper #

Grenades

GiveResource AcidGrenade #

GiveResource AlienGrenade #

GiveResource FireGrenade #

GiveResource FlashbangGrenade #

GiveResource FragGrenade #

GiveResource GasGrenade #

GiveResource SmokeGrenade #

Miscellaneous

GiveResource NanoFibreVest #

GiveResource PlatedVest #

GiveResource StasisVest #

GiveResource HazmatVest #

GiveResource Hellweave #

Resources

GiveResource AlienAlloy #

GiveResource Elerium Core #

GiveResource EleriumDust #

GiveResource Intel #

GiveResource Supplies #

Weapons

GiveResource BlasterLauncher #

GiveResource Flamethrower #

GiveResource FlamethrowerMk2 #

GiveResource PlasmaBlaster #

GiveResource ShredderGun #

GiveResource ShredstormCannon #

Tweaking the game's .ini files

If you don't mind poking around with the game's assortment of .ini files, you can also edit some general parameters to make life much easier. Do yourself a favour and make a back-up of each file before tinkering around with any of these values though - you don't want any clumsy typing accidents wrecking your core game set-up without a restore version on hand.

There are a huge number of variables you can change in XCOM 2, but here are some of the most useful tweaks you can play with to make your life just that little bit easier. Note that you can find all of the individual files you need to edit by going to the game's installation directory, then navigating to XComGame, then Config.

- Need help with something else? Have a look at our main XCOM 2 guide, XCOM 2 Ironman mode tips and tricks page and more for loads of intel on the game.