The X-COM series, a mix of tactical and strategic games, is one of the most popular PC series of all time, despite that its last iteration came out in 1998. When 2K purchased the rights to X-COM from Atari in 2005, and subsequently released all of the games in the series over Steam, we knew a sequel had to be in the works. That time has finally come, 2K announced today that a new X-COM game was being developed by 2K Marin, developers of BioShock 2. Wait, there's more: the new X-COM game will not be a sequel, but in fact a re-imagining, and it won't be a tactical/strategy game either. No, the new X-COM game is going to be an FPS.

Check out this summary from 2K's press release:

XCOM is the re-imagining of the classic tale of humanity’s struggle against an unknown enemy that puts players directly into the shoes of an FBI agent tasked with identifying and eliminating the growing threat. True to the roots of the franchise, players will be placed in charge of overcoming high-stake odds through risky strategic gambits coupled with heart-stopping combat experiences that pit human ingenuity — and frailty — against a foe beyond comprehension. By setting the game in a first-person perspective, players will be able to feel the tension and fear that comes with combating a faceless enemy that is violently probing and plotting its way into our world.

Sadly, I haven't had the privilege of playing through the X-COM series, but despite that I have a deep sense of wrong associated with this announcement. This recent Penny-Arcade comic comes to mind, as in it's just not right messing with these sorts of things. Still, 2K Marin deserves the opportunity to make a great game, and X-COM has the fan base to become an instant classic if done right.

X-COM is an Xbox 360/PC exclusive, and will hopefully have a release date announced sometime soon.