Class List

There are five classes in XCOM 2 similar to the first installment. The previous classes in XCOM: Enemy Unknown are not in this game, rather, they are tweaked into new classes with very similar set of skills.

Ranger is the beefed-up, melee-fighting version of the Assault class. Among all of the classes, the Assault is the most heavily revised because of the melee attack and skills / abilities that comes with it. Rangers can attack with a sword adjacent enemy units, including in diagonal positioning and those not in full cover. Just like the Assault class, Rangers primary weapon is the shotgun.

The Specialist is the Support of this game, however, it is now equipped with a drone (GREMLIN). These drones are used for both defensive and offensive purposes, all depending on how you promote a specialist. The Specialist carries an SMG, and its promotion also includes the GREMLIN abilities. The GREMLIN can also be upgraded through other means like research and the engineering team. Specialists can also hack through the alien's systems that can affect not just the battle against them, but also the war (some hacking benefits include resources and negative effects of the ADVENT's cause.

Grenadier is the Heavy class, armed with a minigun and two grenades (by default, though he / she can equip another item in place of one of the grenades, the second slot is always a grenade). Grenadier's grenades can be fired further because they are, true to their name, armed with a grenade launcher.

Sharpshooter retains everything about the Sniper in the first game. This is the only class that can be armed with a pistol, and is fair because the Sniper cannot move and then shoot with his / her sniper rifle.

The only class that can use psionic abilities and the only class that cannot be promoted through battlefield experience. Instead, he / she is upgraded in the Laboratory.