The World Map
Command the Avenger and manage global resistance from the world map in XCOM 2.
Thomas Kitchin · Public domain
The world map in XCOM 2 is accessed from the bridge of the Avenger, the alien ship that serves as the mobile base for XCOM. Players can advance time, move the Avenger, access scanning missions and combat missions, visit the Resistance HQ to purchase new engineers, weapons, and soldiers, trade with the black market, and discover supply caches and bonus equipment. The map also shows the progress of the alien Avatar Program, which if completed results in an automatic loss; progress can be delayed by sabotaging alien research facilities and other semi-random events.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Strategic gameplay layer (global overview)
- First appears
- XCOM: UFO Defense (1994, North America); UFO: Enemy Unknown (1994, Europe), MicroProse
- Modern presentation
- 3D rotating globe (XCOM: Enemy Unknown, XCOM: Enemy Within, XCOM 2)
- Original presentation
- 2D hex-based map (XCOM: UFO Defense; UFO: Enemy Unknown)
- Developers (reboot series)
- Firaxis Games
- Primary function
- Alien activity tracking
- mission deployment
- resource and base management
Lore & Background
XCOM 2 is set in 2035, 20 years after the events of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. XCOM lost the war and is now a resistance force against the alien occupation of Earth and the established totalitarian regime and military dictatorship of the ADVENT Administration. The player commands the Avenger, an alien ship used as a mobile base for XCOM.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the World Map in XCOM?
It is the strategic overview screen that shows you the entire planet and where alien activity is occurring. Every major call—where to deploy your squad, how to split your budget, which base module to construct—flows through this single interface before you ever step into a firefight.
How does the World Map's presentation differ between XCOM titles?
The 1994 MicroProse original rendered Earth as a flat, two-dimensional hex-grid board, while the Firaxis reboot series (Enemy Unknown, Enemy Within, and XCOM 2) replaced that with a spinning three-dimensional globe you can rotate and zoom. The shift turned the planet from a static puzzle into something that feels alive and actively hostile.
What can I actually do on the World Map?
You track incoming UFOs, commit soldiers to intercept missions, allocate research and manufacturing resources, and manage base infrastructure. It is the 'big picture' layer that sits above turn-based tactical combat and determines which fights you even get the chance to have.
Why is the World Map considered the heart of XCOM's strategy?
It is the layer where the real long-term pressure builds: every UFO you ignore, every soldier you commit too early, and every resource you misallocate all play out here before the tactical screen loads. Fans often say you win or lose the war on this globe, because the tactical fights are merely the execution of decisions made at this level.
How does XCOM 2 change the World Map's tone?
The globe is set against a world already under the Shadow Network's grip, so the mood shifts from 'we are the ones striking back' to 'we are a resistance barely holding on.' Alien activity is more aggressive, the visual presentation carries a heavier, more oppressive weight, and the sense of a planet slowly being consumed is baked into the interface itself.
More in World & Locations
Elsewhere in XCOM
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced