XCOM 2 Cheats & Console Commands: Full Reference Guide

XCOM 2 console commands are enabled by adding -allowconsole -log -autodebug to your Steam launch options, then pressing the tilde key (~) in-game to open the console. From there, every command in this guide works immediately — and as of the current patch, none of them disable Steam achievements. That’s the rare case where cheating comes without a trophy penalty.

Below you’ll find every known command organized by function: facilities, personnel, tech, combat, resources, and .ini tweaks for deeper customization.

How to Enable Console Commands in XCOM 2

Before any command works, you need to unlock the console itself. Here’s the exact process:

1. Open Steam and go to your Library.
2. Right-click XCOM 2 and select Properties.
3. Click Set Launch Options.
4. Paste in: -allowconsole -log -autodebug
5. Launch the game and load a save.
6. Press the tilde key (~) — it’s usually top-left on your keyboard, below Escape.

The console window appears as a small input bar at the bottom of the screen. Commands are case-sensitive in some instances, so match the capitalization shown in each entry below. If a command doesn’t fire correctly on the first try, close and reopen the console, then re-enter it.

One more thing worth knowing: most resource and item commands may require you to visit the mission select screen before the inventory updates visually. It’s a UI refresh issue, not a failed command.

Avenger Facility Commands and the Positioning Grid

Facility commands use a grid system to determine where on the Avenger a room gets built. Think of the Avenger layout as three columns across, with rows numbered like this:

So BuildFacility PsiChamber 7 drops a Psi Chamber into the center slot of the second row. Adjust the number based on where you want the facility to land. Fair warning: these commands do not clear Alien Debris from the target slot first — you’ll need to excavate manually before the build registers correctly.

Here are all currently confirmed facility commands:

• BuildFacility AdvancedWarfareCenter #
• BuildFacility OfficerTrainingSchool #
• BuildFacility PowerRelay #
• BuildFacility ProvingGround #
• BuildFacility PsiChamber #
• BuildFacility ResistanceComms #
• BuildFacility ShadowChamber #
• BuildFacility UFODefense #
• BuildFacility Workshop #

Soldier and Base Personnel Management

Two commands handle your Avenger staff directly. Replace # with the desired level rating — higher values make scientists and engineers more effective, which means faster research and shorter build queues.

• GiveScientist # — adds a scientist at the specified rating
• GiveEngineer # — adds an engineer at the specified rating

For soldiers, you can reassign any unit to a different class using MakeSoldierAClass. Use the soldier’s first and last name in quotes — don’t include their nickname. All reclassified soldiers are automatically reset to Squaddie rank when the command fires, so plan around that if rank matters for your campaign state.

• MakeSoldierAClass “First Last” Grenadier
• MakeSoldierAClass “First Last” PsiOperative
• MakeSoldierAClass “First Last” Ranger
• MakeSoldierAClass “First Last” Sharpshooter
• MakeSoldierAClass “First Last” Specialist
• MakeSoldierAClass “First Last” Rookie

Want to level your whole barracks at once? LevelUpBarracks # bumps every soldier in barracks by the specified number of ranks simultaneously. Useful when you’ve been running a skeleton crew and need to close the power gap fast.

Technology and Research Shortcuts

These GiveTech commands unlock research tiers immediately, skipping the time investment entirely. Each one represents a significant progression gate in a normal campaign run.

• GiveTech AlienBiotech
• GiveTech HybridMaterials
• GiveTech MagneticWeapons
• GiveTech ModularWeapons
• GiveTech PlatedArmor
• GiveTech Psionics
• GiveTech ResistanceCommunications
• GiveTech ResistanceRadio

Chaining MagneticWeapons and PlatedArmor together early essentially skips the mid-game equipment crunch entirely. If you’re just trying to experience the late-game content without grinding research timers, hit those two first.

Mission and Combat Modifiers

This is where things get genuinely powerful — and occasionally risky. Several of these commands affect both your squad and the enemy AI, which can backfire spectacularly if you forget to toggle them off at the right moment.

ToggleUnlimitedActions and ToggleUnlimitedAmmo are the two most commonly misused commands here. Both apply to the enemy simultaneously — if you forget to toggle them off before ending your turn, you’ll watch the alien AI spend an effectively infinite number of actions dismantling your squad. Toggle them off, end your turn, then re-enable at the start of your next turn if you need them again.

RemoveFortress Doom # is arguably the most useful non-combat command in the list. The Avatar Project is the campaign’s real pressure valve, and shaving pips off the bar gives you breathing room to complete missions without the constant clock anxiety that defines Commander and Legend difficulty.

Resources and Item Codes

The GiveResource command is the primary way to add items, materials, and currencies. Replace # with the quantity you want. If a command doesn’t register, try swapping GiveResource for AddItem — some players report that GiveResource requires at least one of the item already in inventory to function, while AddItem forces it in regardless.

Core resources:

• GiveResource AlienAlloy #
• GiveResource EleriumCore #
• GiveResource EleriumDust #
• GiveResource Intel #
• GiveResource Supplies #

Ammunition:

• GiveResource APRounds #
• GiveResource BluescreenRounds #
• GiveResource IncendiaryRounds #
• GiveResource TalonRounds #
• GiveResource TracerRounds #
• GiveResource VenomRounds #

Armor:

• GiveResource HeavyPlatedArmor #
• GiveResource LightPlatedArmor #
• GiveResource LightPoweredArmor #

Grenades:

• GiveResource AcidGrenade #
• GiveResource AlienGrenade #
• GiveResource FireGrenade #
• GiveResource FlashbangGrenade #
• GiveResource FragGrenade #
• GiveResource GasGrenade #
• GiveResource SmokeGrenade #

Weapons:

• GiveResource BlasterLauncher #
• GiveResource Flamethrower #
• GiveResource FlamethrowerMk2 #
• GiveResource PlasmaBlaster #
• GiveResource ShredderGun #
• GiveResource ShredstormCannon #

Corpses (for Proving Ground projects):

• GiveResource CorpseAdventOfficer #
• GiveResource CorpseAdventShieldbearer #
• GiveResource CorpseAdventStunLancer #
• GiveResource CorpseAdventTrooper #
• GiveResource CorpseArchon #
• GiveResource CorpseBerserker #
• GiveResource CorpseFaceless #
• GiveResource CorpseSectoid #
• GiveResource CorpseViper #

Utility items:

• GiveResource HazmatVest #
• GiveResource Hellweave #
• GiveResource NanoFibreVest #
• GiveResource PlatedVest #
• GiveResource StasisVest #

Advanced Tweaking via .INI Files

Console commands cover most scenarios, but the .ini files sitting in your XCOM 2 installation directory allow for persistent changes that survive between sessions. Navigate to: [XCOM 2 Install Directory] → XComGame → Config

Back up every file before editing. That’s non-negotiable — a misplaced character in an .ini can corrupt configurations in ways that aren’t immediately obvious, and restoring from backup takes thirty seconds while troubleshooting broken game behavior does not.

The MaxSoldiersOnMission edit is particularly popular for players who want squad tactics without the brutal attrition of a four-person squad on Legendary. Bumping it to six or eight keeps the tactical depth intact while reducing how punishing a single bad turn can be.

FREE_KILL in DefaultGameCore.ini is the one that gets overlooked most often. Set it to a low value — say, 5 to 10 — and you get occasional instant kills that feel like lucky shots rather than the game playing itself. At 100, every hit is a guaranteed kill, which removes any tension from combat entirely. Most players who use it land somewhere in the 10–20 range for a middle ground.