Aliens: Fireteam, a new third-person cooperative shooter from Cold Iron Studios, shifts the franchise back toward action rather than horror by putting three-man squads of Colonial Marines against waves of xenomorphs. The game, which released its first trailer on Tuesday, is scheduled for release on PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in mid-2024.
Action-oriented co-op inspired by Aliens (1986)
Where Alien: Isolation (2014) drew on the original 1979 film to build a tense survival-horror experience, Aliens: Fireteam takes clear cues from the 1986 sequel Aliens, emphasizing nonstop combat. The pace and structure of its multiplayer encounters have been compared to classic cooperative shooters such as Left 4 Dead, replacing zombies with multiple classes of xenomorphs.
Trailer and presentation
The trailer showcases frenetic combat as teams of three marines attempt to survive against overwhelming alien forces across varied environments. According to the developer, the game features more than 20 enemy variants, from facehuggers that emerge from eggs to the Queen, with each enemy “designed with its own intelligence to ambush, deceive and eviscerate vulnerable marines.”
Classes, progression and customization
Players can choose from five soldier classes—Gunner, Demolisher, Technician, Medic and Scout—each offering distinct abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Aliens: Fireteam incorporates role-playing elements, with over 30 weapons and more than 70 weapon modifications and accessories available to customize characters.
Cold Iron Studios has stated there will be no microtransactions or loot boxes at launch. However, the studio plans to release downloadable content (DLC) after the game ships.
Setting and structure
The story is set 23 years after the original Alien trilogy. Crews aboard the USS Endeavor will face the xenomorph threat across four different campaigns. The developers intentionally deprioritized horror in favor of a combat-first experience: heavily armed marines confronting monstrous enemies rather than stealth or jump-scare mechanics.
Multiplayer details and limitations
Matches are played with three-marine squads that can be filled by other online players or AI-controlled bots. The game is fully online but is not an MMO. Fireteam supports play on public servers and also offers private servers for hosted sessions. There will be no local split-screen co-op and no crossplay between platforms.
