TL;DR<\/p>
- \n
- Five classes are playable from the start: Marauder, Duelist, Machinist, Hunter, Medic.<\/li>\n
- The Specialist is a sixth, build-your-own class that unlocks only after you've leveled the other five \u2014 it's not a launch-day pick.<\/li>\n
- Squads now hold four players, up from three in the original game, which changes how duplicate roles work.<\/li>\n
- Cold Iron Studios (developer) and Daybreak Game Company (publisher) haven't published exact unlock levels or balance numbers ahead of launch.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"What Are the Six Classes in Aliens Fireteam Elite 2?","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n
The class system is the core of how Fireteam Elite 2 divides combat roles across a squad. Cold Iron Studios is launching with five remade USCM roles - Marauder, Duelist, Machinist, Hunter, and Medic - plus Specialist, a customizable sixth class unlocked by progressing the others. None of these are brand new concepts \u2014 the Gunner has been changed to the Duelist, the Technician to the Machinist, the Demolisher to the Marauder, Lancer to the Hunter and Doc to the Medic from the original 2021 game, each with reworked kits and new ability names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"table","headers":[{"header_text":"Class"},{"header_text":"Role in Squad"},{"header_text":"What It Works With"},{"header_text":"Who It Suits"}],"rows":[{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Marauder"},{"cell_text":"Heavy damage \/ force multiplier"},{"cell_text":"Rifle plus a shoulder-mounted Blast Cannon for close pressure or Titan Rockets for big targets"},{"cell_text":"Players who want to stand and delete priority threats"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Duelist"},{"cell_text":"Sustained rifle DPS"},{"cell_text":"Shrapnel Grenade, Burst Configuration, and the Stay on Target perk that rewards uninterrupted hits"},{"cell_text":"Players who like to stay aggressive and keep firing"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Machinist"},{"cell_text":"Area denial \/ tech control"},{"cell_text":"Energy weapons, modifiable Sentry Turrets, and a flying Bodyguard drone"},{"cell_text":"Players who like setting up a kill zone before the horde arrives"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Hunter"},{"cell_text":"Crowd control \/ weak-point exploitation"},{"cell_text":"Particle Pulse and Stasis Bolt to lock down targets for a railgun follow-up"},{"cell_text":"Players who like tactical setups over raw damage"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Medic"},{"cell_text":"Squad support"},{"cell_text":"Enhanced Combat Stims and an Advanced Trauma Station"},{"cell_text":"Players who'd rather keep the team alive than top the damage meter"}]}],"size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"How to Choose Your First Class","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\n
There's no wrong pick among the five base classes since every squad needs some mix of damage, control, and support, but your first class should match how you actually play shooters, not what looks strongest on paper. If you gravitate toward being the one holding a lane and soaking pressure, the Marauder<\/strong> is the obvious start \u2014 it pairs a rifle with a heavy weapon and brings two distinct shoulder-mounted kits: the smaller Blast Cannon for close pressure, and larger Titan Rockets for big explosive answers. If you prefer constant trigger time and punishing consistency, the Duelist<\/strong> is built around exactly that: utilizing tools like the Shrapnel Grenade and Burst Configuration, the Duelist excels at maintaining sustained rifle damage, and perks like Stay on Target reward sustained damage on enemies, while Mobility increases speed and stun recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n4<\/span>players per squad<\/span><\/div>\n42<\/span>perk grid slots<\/span><\/div>\n6<\/span>total classes<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nBecause Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 expands the core cooperative experience by increasing the squad size to four players, picking your first class also means thinking about the other three seats. Two players running the same fixed class in a four-person squad means two of your four ability slots are doing the same job \u2014 fine if that's the plan, but it's worth checking with your group before everyone defaults to the flashiest option. If you want the fuller picture of what launches alongside the class roster, the Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 release date and platform guide<\/a> covers the rest of the launch details.<\/p>\n\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"table","headers":[{"header_text":"Playstyle"},{"header_text":"Suggested Class"},{"header_text":"Why"},{"header_text":"Squad Fit"}],"rows":[{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Tank \/ frontline"},{"cell_text":"Marauder"},{"cell_text":"Heavy weapon options built for sustained head-on fights"},{"cell_text":"One per squad is usually enough"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Aggressive rifleman"},{"cell_text":"Duelist"},{"cell_text":"Damage scales the longer you keep shots landing"},{"cell_text":"Pairs well with a Medic behind it"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Builder \/ methodical"},{"cell_text":"Machinist"},{"cell_text":"Turrets and a drone lock down chokepoints before enemies close in"},{"cell_text":"Strong in tight corridor maps"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Tactical \/ support-damage hybrid"},{"cell_text":"Hunter"},{"cell_text":"Sets up weak-point damage for the whole team, not just itself"},{"cell_text":"Great alongside heavy hitters"}]},{"cells":[{"cell_text":"Team-first player"},{"cell_text":"Medic"},{"cell_text":"Keeps the squad alive through Combat Stims and revive speed"},{"cell_text":"Every squad wants at least one"}]}],"size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"
![\"Aliens](\"https:\/\/shared.akamai.steamstatic.com\/store_item_assets\/steam\/apps\/3448650\/dabe4c3f28114786f14a443cd38585d732ea857f\/ss_dabe4c3f28114786f14a443cd38585d732ea857f.1920x1080.jpg?t=1787348030\")
<\/figure>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"Step-by-Step: Picking Your Starting Class","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"steps","intro":"Follow this sequence to get it done fast.","steps":[{"title":"Think about your usual FPS role","description":"if you always play the aggressor in co-op shooters, lean Marauder or Duelist; if you always end up reviving people, lean Medic.","image":null},{"title":"Check what your squad already has","description":"before locking in, ask what your other three squadmates are running so you're not duplicating a role nobody asked for.","image":null},{"title":"Pick based on tempo, not power","description":"Machinist and Hunter reward patience and setup, while Duelist and Marauder reward staying in the fight; pick the tempo you enjoy.","image":null},{"title":"Level it properly instead of hopping around","description":"since the Specialist requires progress across all five classes eventually, treat your first pick as the one you'll spend the most early hours on, not a throwaway.","image":null},{"title":"Reassess after your first few missions","description":"nothing locks you to one class permanently, so if the playstyle doesn't click, switch before you've sunk excessive time in.","image":null}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","heading":"The Specialist: Why It's Locked and What It Actually Does","tag":"h2"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"\nThe Specialist is the class most players will search for after finishing their first few missions, and the most important thing to understand is that you cannot pick it on day one. Cold Iron's fully customizable endgame class lets players mix abilities from all five base classes but stays locked until you've leveled each one. Where the game's five base classes each arrive with a defined set of weapons, signature tools, and ability slots, the Specialist arrives with none of those constraints.<\/p>\n\n
This isn't a menu toggle \u2014 it's a progression gate. The Specialist class must be unlocked be leveling up the other classes, and once you do you'll be able to build almost any Specialist character you want. In showcased builds, developers demonstrated pulling pieces across classes freely: borrowed tools in action, including the Machinist's Shredder Bodyguard, the Hunter's Particle Beam, the L56A3 Smartgun as a signature weapon, and perks like Focus Fire and Doctor's Orders, all on one character.<\/p>\n\n