OpenXcom Extended becomes the recommended version for X-COM: UFO Defense

The OpenXcom project, an open-source recreation of the classic X-COM: UFO Defense (1994), has officially entered maintenance mode, while OpenXcom Extended (OXCE) is now the recommended version for both players and modders. The announcement was made on the project’s official website in January 2026.

Actively developed since 2014 by Yankes and Meridian, OpenXcom Extended remains faithful to the original experience while introducing a wide range of quality-of-life improvements, advanced modding features, and interface enhancements. From now on, the traditional OpenXcom will be treated as a legacy version, receiving only occasional fixes, while OXCE assumes the role of the project’s official “final” version.

OpenXcom (in any of its variants) uses data from the original game — requiring players to own X-COM: UFO Defense or Terror from the Deep — and allows the classic to run natively on modern systems, including Linux. More information can be found on the official OpenXcom website.

How to install OpenXcom Extended on Linux

More info and X-COM

• OpenXcom Extended takes over from OpenXcom for the classic X-COM / UFO: Enemy Unknown @ Gaming On Linux – This article is the primary source of the news.
• OpenXcom Extended passa a ser a versão recomendada para X-COM: UFO Defense @ Gaming Room – Source from where this post was translated/adapted.
• UFO - Enemy Unknown: Beginning Part 2 (X-COM UFO Defense)
• UFO - Enemy Unknown: Beginning Part 1 (X-COM UFO Defense)
• UFO - Enemy Unknown: Beginning Part 3 (X-COM UFO Defense)