Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 is holding back one of its most flexible combat roles until players prove themselves. The Specialist class won't be available from the start, instead requiring you to grind through the other character types first. Once unlocked, however, it transforms into something far more customizable than anything else in the four-player shooter.
The real trick to the Specialist is its ability to borrow powers from every other class in the game. Instead of being locked into a predetermined skill set, you can mix and match abilities across your loadout, essentially building a character that fits your exact playstyle. Developers showed this flexibility in action during a walkthrough, demonstrating how the leveling system feeds directly into the class's modular design.
This unlock-through-grind approach means early players will need to invest time with the game's core roster before accessing the sandbox class. It's a deliberate design choice that encourages experimentation with the base classes while keeping something special dangling as a long-term reward. For players who figure out the combinations they want before unlocking Specialist, the payoff becomes immediate.
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 launches this summer across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The sequel maintains the original's focus on cooperative horde combat against Xenomorphs, with the new class system suggesting developer Coldfire Games is leaning into player agency and customization as core pillars. Earlier reveals detailed both returning and fresh enemy types, promising escalating challenges as your squad levels up.
The game marks May's IGN First exclusive coverage, with additional features on enemy design and gameplay mechanics rolling out throughout the month.
Author Emily Chen: "A class that only opens up after you've grinded through everyone else is either genius retention or frustrating gatekeeping, and honestly, the ability to frankenstein your own loadout from other classes' skills might be enough to justify the wait."
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