The tactical RPG genre is incredibly diverse and includes games ranging from JRPGs such as Fire emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics to roguelite likes Mewgenics and Into the Breachand everything in between. Some of the crown jewels of tactical RPGs are XCOM and Jagged Alliance franchise, like the upcoming game Dogs of war aims to replicate. Slated for a 2026 release, Dogs of war can be the tactical RPG that XCOM fans have been waiting for, as it has some impressive features that would elevate the formula created by its inspirations.
The XCOM franchise seems to be on hiatus for now, having released a new entry in 2021 with XCOM: Legendsa free-to-play mobile game that was discontinued in 2024. Firaxis and 2K have not provided any updates on the future of XCOM franchise, leaving its status in limbo for now. For XCOM fans looking for a new tactical RPG experience on the scale of 2016 XCOM 2, Dogs of war may be right up their alley.
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Warhound's features at a glance
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A campaign inspired by classic action films set in an alternative future Africa
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Decision making and strategy based on physics and sight lines, not RNG
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Customization of hired fighters with a wide selection of class options
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Upgrade the base and manage units between missions
Warhounds wear their inspirations on their sleeve
Sincere, Dogs of war make it clear that XCOM and Jagged Alliance are the main inspirations behind the game. As XCOM and Jagged Alliance, Dogs of war allows players to take control of a squad of mercenaries and engage in tactical, turn-based combat, where the success or failure of a mission shapes the outcome of the story. Dogs of war wants to put tactical RPG veterans and newcomers alike in control of their experience, offering the ability to determine the pace and challenge of missions depending on whether players want to tackle a mission in a short play session or settle into a longer battle.
The Dogs of war the team also listens to fan feedback throughout the game's development, recently removing AI-generated character portraits following fan backlash and replacing them with images of the characters' in-game models.
The history and environment of war dogs
IN Dogs of warsociety collapses and new militant factions rise to power globally. Players will oversee the Warhound mercenaries who have been hired to fight these factions through covert operations and contract missions. At the heart of this conflict is an alternate future version of Africa in the year 2035, where players will need to brave environments such as savannahs, jungles and deserts along with slums, business districts, military bases and ancient cities to achieve their goals.
The Gameplay of Warhounds
The biggest attraction for Dogs of war is its gameplay, which looks to put a unique twist on the traditional tactical RPG formula. Like most games in the genre, building an army of powerful combat units is the first layer of strategy players must consider. As they developed their squad of mercenaries, Dogs of war players have five primary classes to choose from, including:
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Assault
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Specialist
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Sniper
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Machine gunner
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Grenadier
Likes the best classes in XCOMeach of these classes has its own strengths and weaknesses, requiring players to strategize and bring the right classes for the right missions. thankfully, Dogs of war also allows players to manage the different aspects of their mercenary army between missions, ensuring that they are prepared to face any type of future threat.
Back at their base, Dogs of war allows players to recruit new mercenaries to fill the ranks of their army, similar Jagged Alliance 3s mercenary system, as well as upgrading their units, buying new equipment and healing wounded units. Player choice is the name of the game, and actions taken back at base can have consequences for the outcome of future missions and the larger story as a whole. Dogs of war allowing players to align with different factions or build relationships between units to strengthen warbands and give them a better chance of success.
Warhounds aims to solve XCOM's biggest problem
One of the most frustrating aspects of XCOM series that has become infamous among fans is tactical RPG's RNG system for calculating whether a shot hits an enemy. XCOM will give players a signal saying that their shot has about an 89% chance of hitting an enemy point-blank, only to miss due to the narrow RNG-dependent dice roll. Dogs of war wants to break away from this issue and empower players to make decisions based on elements they can control, rather than annoying RNG mechanics.
Drag weapons to fill the grid
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Drag weapons to fill the grid
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Instead, Dogs of war uses aspects such as lines of sight, high ground, and weapon and environment physics to calculate how much damage attacks will do and how far players can hit enemies from. With access to this information, players can carefully plan their turns around factors they can control without ending up in the situation where a direct shot misses a unit. This is an ambitious approach to the tactical RPG formula, but if done successfully it could inspire future indie tactical RPGs as well as AAA franchises to follow in Dogs of wars footsteps.
There is no word yet on when Dogs of war will be released after the 2026 window. However, interested tactical RPG fans can give the game's demo a try on Steam to see if these RNG-less mechanics live up to their expectations. Until a new one XCOM the game is officially revealed, Dogs of war could be the tactical RPG of choice for the foreseeable future if it can pull together all of its promised mechanics in a clean and cohesive way.
