Aliens: Fireteam Elite II, the sequel to the 2021 co-op shooter, is expanding its player count from three to four. While many sequels aim for a simple increase in scope, this particular change presented significant design hurdles for the development team.
Narrative director Jake Kriegman stated that incorporating player feedback was a primary driver for the sequel. "The fourth [co-op] player was one of those things," he explained. Creative director Chris Cross, a veteran of the industry, noted that three-player teams are inherently awkward. "Three is an awkward number for a fireteam; two and two makes four, so you can do two splits, strategically," Cross said, referencing a preference for even numbers in team design, likely stemming from legacy four-player split-screen experiences.
However, simply adding a player requires more than just accommodating an extra gun. Cross elaborated on the challenges, referring to it as the "attention economy." With four active players, the game needs to present enough enemies to keep all four players engaged and prevent them from focusing on a single target. "Now, it was more challenging, because you need a little bit more space for people and you need more enemies," he explained. "You have four guns active; you not only need more targets, but you need to fill the active space with enough that everybody's not just ganging up on one enemy, right? So, you have to have a minimum of four enemies at a time that are pulling attention around."
The addition of a fourth player also necessitated adjustments to gameplay mechanics to prevent friendly fire incidents, especially on higher difficulties. "On higher difficulties, when you put friendly fire on, things can get pretty crowded," Kriegman said. To mitigate players accidentally shooting teammates, a new crouch button and cover snapping system have been implemented. These features allow for better spatial coordination, enabling players to organize into front and back lines for more strategic engagements.
Balancing the game's classes for four players was another significant undertaking. The team had to rework existing classes to ensure that a four-player team wasn't overpowered. Cross highlighted that this rework has a positive side effect: a less grindy experience due to a faster rewards schedule. Furthermore, the extensive customization options mean that even four players running the same class, such as medics, can have distinct roles and builds, like a "fire medic" and a "cryo medic."
Cross admitted that the original game's three-player count was partly due to technical limitations at the time, describing it as "good enough." He emphasized that the transition to four players involved substantial effort, but deemed it worthwhile. Aliens: Fireteam Elite II is scheduled to launch on August 25 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version planned for release later in the year without a specific date.