Do You Lose If The Avatar Project Is Completed In XCOM 2?
The short, direct answer is: Yes, you lose the game if the Avatar Project is completed in XCOM 2. When the Alien’s Avatar Project reaches its maximum progress, marked by all 12 blocks being filled on the progress bar, a countdown timer is triggered. If this timer reaches zero, then XCOM is defeated, and the game ends. There’s no negotiating or second chances once the countdown expires; it’s game over. Therefore, managing the Avatar Project is a critical element of strategic gameplay in XCOM 2.
Understanding the Avatar Project
The Avatar Project acts as the primary game clock in XCOM 2. It represents the alien’s overarching effort to achieve total dominance over Earth. The project’s progress is visually displayed on the Geoscape, a globe that shows your strategic overview. The progress bar fills with blocks as the aliens make advancements on their clandestine plans, and the goal of XCOM is to strategically stop this project from completing.
Successfully completing missions that target Alien Facilities directly reduces this progress. Each facility contributes a different amount of progress, which is indicated by the number of red dots underneath the facility icon on the Geoscape. The more progress a facility contributes, the more vital it becomes to target it. Effectively managing the Avatar Project is a balance between proactively shutting down the facilities and reacting to the Alien’s attempts to strengthen their position.
The Countdown Timer & Game Over
Once all 12 blocks on the Avatar Project progress bar are filled, the visual display immediately changes to a countdown timer. This is your final warning, and the window you have to reduce the progress and save Earth. You will have a limited amount of time to reduce the Avatar Progress by attacking alien facilities. If you fail to reduce the project’s progress before the timer reaches zero, then the game ends, and you are given the defeat screen.
The appearance of the timer often signifies that the player is in a dangerous position and that they need to act very quickly and decisively. This countdown can be halted by reducing the Avatar Progress through the destruction of alien facilities. So, if you find yourself in this situation, prioritize attacking high-value targets that will decrease the project’s advancement quickly.
Managing Avatar Project Progress
Here are a few key strategies to manage the Avatar Project:
- Target Alien Facilities: Attacking and destroying Alien Facilities is the most direct way to reverse the Avatar Project’s progress. Prioritize facilities that contribute more progress, especially when the countdown is active.
- Strategic Scanning: Pay close attention to the Geoscape and scan locations with rumored Alien activity. These scans often lead to opportunities to disrupt the project, or provide vital information.
- Complete Story Missions: While it might seem that focusing only on Avatar Project reducing missions is the correct path, story missions frequently reward you with breakthroughs that reduce the project’s progress.
- Prioritize Research: Researching technologies such as the Shadow Chamber will provide more information and options for disrupting the project.
- Be Prepared: Don’t neglect your soldier development and technological advancement. Having a capable squad can be the difference between success and failure on critical missions.
Strategic Tips To Keep In Mind
- Don’t Panic Early: In the initial stages of the game, the Avatar Project progress is relatively slow. Focus on building up your base, recruiting and training soldiers, and researching essential technologies.
- Understand the Geoscape: Learn to interpret the information provided on the Geoscape to strategically plan your missions. Prioritize locations with significant Alien Activity or facilities with a lot of progress.
- Armor ASAP: Focus on researching and acquiring armor upgrades for your soldiers as quickly as possible. They will significantly improve your chances of surviving missions that may slow the Avatar Project.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can you permanently lose against the Avatar Project?
Yes, if the Avatar Project is completed and the countdown timer reaches zero, the game is lost permanently. There are no second chances.
2. How do you reduce Avatar Project progress in XCOM 2?
The primary way is by successfully completing missions that involve destroying Alien Facilities. Each facility has a certain amount of progress it contributes to the Avatar Project, denoted by red dots.
3. What is the Avatar Project counter?
The Avatar Project counter is a visual representation of the Alien’s progress. It starts as a 12-block progress bar. Once the bar fills, it becomes a countdown timer.
4. How do Alien Facilities contribute to the Avatar Project?
Each Alien Facility contributes a set amount of progress to the Avatar Project, indicated by the number of red dots beneath the facility on the Geoscape.
5. What happens when the Avatar Project timer hits zero?
If the timer reaches zero, XCOM is defeated, and the game ends. There are no second chances after this point.
6. Can you reset the Avatar Project’s progress in XCOM 2?
You cannot fully reset the progress to zero, but you can reduce it by destroying Alien Facilities.
7. Does the Shadow Chamber have anything to do with Avatar Progress?
The Shadow Chamber itself does not directly reduce the progress, but by giving you additional information, it can lead to better strategic decisions and quicker disruptions of the project.
8. What are Dark Events, and do they affect Avatar Progress?
Dark Events are negative effects that the aliens attempt to launch against XCOM. While most do not directly increase the Avatar progress, they can significantly hinder your efforts, indirectly making it harder to stop the project by weakening your forces or increasing alien forces.
9. Is it possible to ignore the Avatar Project entirely?
No. Ignoring the Avatar Project will lead to an inevitable game over when the countdown timer expires. It is the main objective of the game.
10. Do specific missions affect the Avatar Project more than others?
Missions that target Alien Facilities have the most significant impact on reducing progress. Story missions also often provide ways to impact the project through research breakthroughs or rewards.
11. How should I prioritize Alien Facilities on the Geoscape?
Prioritize facilities based on their contribution to the Avatar Project (the number of red dots) and their accessibility. Destroying facilities contributing a lot of progress can quickly stop or reverse the progress.
12. What happens to the countdown timer if I reduce the Avatar Progress?
If you manage to reduce the progress before the timer reaches zero, the countdown timer disappears, and the progress bar reappears. This gives you more time to continue combating the project.
13. Are there console commands to reduce the Avatar Project’s progress?
Yes, there are console commands that allow you to reduce the progress. However, these should be used with caution as they can affect the balance of the game. If you want to use them, be sure to search for the commands online.
14. Is there a way to permanently disable the countdown timer?
There is no standard game function to permanently disable the countdown timer. However, some mods are available that can affect the timer, including disabling it completely.
15. How do I handle a situation where the Avatar Project is near completion?
If the Avatar Project is nearing completion, focus all your efforts on targeting Alien Facilities. Prioritize high-value targets and ensure your squad is well-equipped to handle the challenges ahead. Don’t panic, and remember the basics of what makes your units successful.
In conclusion, failing to manage the Avatar Project will indeed lead to defeat in XCOM 2. Understanding how the project works and utilizing the strategies outlined above is crucial for saving Earth from the alien threat.