Now XCOM 2 commanders can readjust their soldier’s skills with the Advanced Warfare Center. Any soldier class can respec, allowing you to pick alternate abilities that better suit your playstyle, or simply give you the chance to experiment. Learn how to start retraining early with the quick steps below.
There are many changes to XCOM 2, and one of the first you’ll encounter is the massive Avenger ship. This flying headquarters functions much like the bunker from XCOM: Enemy Unknown in that you’ll need to dig out rooms before construction can begin. Not only do you manage rooms, but you also manage the engineering and science staff; placing engineers in construction zones speeds up work, assigning scientists improves a room’s functions, etc. That’s a lot to learn, so we’re focusing on the soldier side of things. If you haven’t already, it’s time to become acquainted with the Advanced Warfare Center.
Check out the XCOM 2 review on The Escapist for a full breakdown on why this sequel is so spectacular. For more behind-the-scenes info, browse our interview with XCOM 2 senior producer Garth DeAngelis and learn about new systems, features, and how the character customization has improved.
How to Respec
Following the tutorial mission, you’ll gain access to the “Alien Biotech” Research Project. This is the first Research Project of XCOM 2 and it cannot be missed.
Completing this research offers several bonuses, but the most important tech upgrade for our purposes is the Advanced Warfare Center.
Build the Advanced Warfare Center in an unoccupied room space. Make sure you have enough power and supplies. Rooms filled with Alien Debris or Machinery must be cleared out by engineers. The more engineers assigned to the task, the faster it will complete.
The same principle applies when constructing the Advanced Warfare Center. Assign an engineer to the construction to knock 50% of the time off the building phase.
When the Advanced Warfare Center is complete, you can Respec by clicking the button tab at the top center of the room menu. Zoom-in then place any class in the AWC slot to begin the retraining process.
Retraining takes 10 days to complete always. Assigning staff to the Advanced Warfare Center improves healing time for wounded soldiers.
Quick Guide: How to Respec
To review, here are the steps you’ll need to complete to respec any soldier class.
- 1. Research Alien Biotech
- 2. Construct Advanced Warfare Center
- 3. Place Soldier Class Into Retraining
Respecs do not de-level characters. You will remain the same rank, but are given the chance to promote characters from their base class all the way back up to their current rank.
Psi Operatives cannot gain new Psi skills with this method. Instead, they need to train in the Psi Lab to gain different skills.
To train rookies into a specific class, construct the Guerrilla Tactics School. This facility allows you to train a rookie into the class of your choosing.
Check out even more XCOM 2 Easter eggs and unlockables on The Escapist:
Kevin Thielenhaus is a freelance writer for The Escapist. Find him on Twitter here.
