With XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Enemy Within both available on multiple platforms (PC, Xbox 360, and PS3), it came as a bit of a surprise when 2K revealed that XCOM 2 will only be released on PC. Sure, Firaxis Games has a penchant for PC, but going from multiplatform to PC-exclusive, just seems odd given the state of the gaming industry. In theory, more platforms should mean more money as it's available to more.
Whatever the reasoning (which IGN detailed), XCOM 2 will only be coming to PC, though Firaxis hasn't completely ruled out the possibility of a console release. However, the developer says if that should happen, it won't be for a long, long time.
“We're certainly not opposed to that, but I can assure that's something we're not even discussing yet,” creative director Jake Solomon told IGN. Though both the PS4 and Xbox One would likely be technically capable of running XCOM 2, according to Solomon, he admits that developing all of the game's features for multiple platforms simultaneously would be impossible for the studio to do.
According to Solomon, one of the reasons the studio opted for PC-only was to ensure they could hit their goals of high-fiedlity characters and environments, better-looking destruction, physically based rendering, and procedurally generated maps.
“To do that, we had to use all of our studio expertise … and our expertise here is PC. That's our home, and that's where we're really comfortable," Solomon said.
XCOM 2 is expected to release this November 2015.