Five years after its initial release, the XCOM-inspired tactical game Phoenix Point has received a transformative free update. Dubbed "Firebird," this substantial overhaul directly addresses long-standing player feedback and draws significant inspiration from the game's most popular community modification, aiming to refine the core campaign experience and strategic layer.
A Rebirth Inspired by Community Passion
The Firebird update represents a unique collaboration between developer Snapshot Games and the creators of the "Terror From The Void" (TFTV) mod. Snapshot has openly praised the mod for its improvements, noting that many of the changes in Firebird were inspired by the fan-made project. Crucially, the update has been designed for full compatibility with TFTV, allowing players to continue or start new campaigns with the mod enabled. This approach acknowledges the mod's role in shaping the game's evolution and ensures its dedicated community isn't left behind.
Key Changes in the Firebird Update:
- Campaign Pacing: Research time reduced by 20%. Construction time for faction-ending projects halved.
- Resource Economy: Reduced costs for ammo production and facility construction.
- Mission Rebalancing: Haven Defense missions have more consistent difficulty. Rescue missions are less punishing. Ambush missions are more frequent and offer loot crates/skill points.
- Strategic Layer: Redesigned manufacturing screen with better UI clarity.
- Late-Game Balance: Removed hidden enemy scaling that occurred when defeating enemies or destroying bases.
- DLC Tweaks: Rebalancing for all DLC, with focus on "Festering Skies" and "Corrupted Horizons."
- Mod Compatibility: Fully compatible with the "Terror From The Void" mod.
Streamlining Campaign Pacing and Progression
A primary focus of the update is alleviating the repetitive and drawn-out feeling that could set in during the mid-to-late game. To achieve this, Snapshot has implemented significant reductions in research and construction times. Research times have been cut by 20%, while the build time for major, faction-ending project buildings has been halved. The goal is to allow players to reach critical strategic decision points faster without sacrificing the game's inherent depth. This adjustment aims to maintain engagement by reducing periods of grinding and waiting.
Rebalancing Resources and Mission Design
The early-game resource scarcity, which often led to tedious management loops, has been eased. Costs for producing ammo and constructing facilities have been slightly lowered to reduce punitive pressure on players starting a new campaign. Mission design has also seen targeted tweaks. Haven Defense missions now feature more consistent and logical difficulty scaling, with improved defensive capabilities for the havens themselves. Rescue missions have been rebalanced to preserve tension while removing frustrating instant-death scenarios, and Ambush missions are now more frequent and rewarding, offering loot crates and skill points.
Refining the Strategic Layer and Late-Game Balance
Quality-of-life improvements extend to the strategic overview. The manufacturing screen has been redesigned for better clarity, with enhanced tooltips for storage management and clearer displays for partially used ammunition magazines. A significant late-game balance change removes hidden enemy scaling that previously occurred when players successfully defeated Pandoran forces or destroyed their bases. This mechanic, which could create an exponentially increasing difficulty curve, has been eliminated to ensure a fairer and more predictable challenge as the campaign concludes.
Enhancements to DLC and Current Promotion
The update also includes rebalancing for all five of Phoenix Point's DLC packs, with particular attention given to "Festering Skies" and "Corrupted Horizons." For "Festering Skies," changes provide more meaningful ways to interact with and counter the Behemoth threat. "Corrupted Horizons" adjustments focus on making the disruptive Acheron support units less oppressive while retaining their strategic role in complicating battlefield plans. To celebrate the fifth anniversary and the Firebird update, Phoenix Point is currently available on Steam at a 60% discount, bringing the price down to USD 9.99 or GBP 7.79 until Thursday, December 18.