In XCOM 2: Long War of the Chosen (LWOTC), liberating a region is one of the most significant and complex goals for players aiming to turn the tide against ADVENT. Unlike the base game, LWOTC introduces more layers of mechanics, mission types, and resistance management, making region liberation a tactical process that requires patience, coordination, and strategic foresight. If executed correctly, a successful liberation gives you full control over a region’s income and infrastructure, and severely disrupts ADVENT’s strength in the area. Understanding how to liberate in LWOTC is essential for long-term campaign success.
Understanding Region Liberation in LWOTC
What Liberation Means
Liberating a region in LWOTC removes the ADVENT presence and turns it into a stronghold of resistance activity. This comes with major benefits, including increased income, the ability to build radio relays, and the elimination of most dark events in that region. However, liberation isn’t a single mission. Instead, it’s a chain of operations that must be completed in sequence, requiring careful intel usage, soldier management, and regional vigilance.
The Liberation Chain
The process of liberating a region involves discovering and completing a sequence of missions that culminates in the final liberation strike. These missions do not appear all at once. They must be discovered through resistance activity, and completing each one unlocks the next.
How to Start the Liberation Process
Set Up Your Haven
To begin the liberation chain, you need to assign rebels in a region to the ‘Intel’ job. This increases your chances of discovering liberation-related missions. Typically, having 4 to 6 rebels on Intel will generate decent mission frequency, but increasing the number can speed up the discovery rate. You can also assign an advisor preferably a soldier with high hacking or mobility to further enhance rebel efficiency.
Be Patient With Intel Scans
Not every mission that pops up in the region will be related to liberation. LWOTC generates many mission types, including supply raids, jailbreaks, troop ambushes, and more. Carefully examine mission names and objectives to identify liberation steps. Common mission names that signal the beginning of the liberation chain include:
- Find a Lead (initial mission to start the chain)
- Neutralize Target in Vehicle
- Sabotage ADVENT Monument
- Hack Workstation in ADVENT Facility
One of these will eventually lead to a mission with the label Liberation. That’s when you know you’re on the correct path.
Completing the Liberation Chain
Stage 1: Find a Lead
This mission usually involves hacking or recovering an ADVENT datapad. Completing this opens up access to follow-up liberation missions. Even if it’s not marked as a liberation mission, it’s often the trigger required to push the chain forward.
Stage 2: Neutralize ADVENT Officials
The next step is often an assassination or capture mission. These involve killing or extracting a high-ranking ADVENT officer. Success in these missions breaks their regional control and weakens their infrastructure. It’s also one of the most dangerous stages, especially on higher alert levels.
Stage 3: Sabotage and Data Recovery
The third stage usually involves destroying a monument or hacking an ADVENT workstation. These missions are timed, and you will often face tougher enemies or reinforcements. Completion pushes the region to the final liberation opportunity. Missions may overlap or shuffle slightly depending on RNG, but the general chain leads toward the final liberation mission.
Stage 4: Liberation Strike
The final liberation mission usually has an objective like Destroy the Relay, Defend the Resistance, or Sweep the Base. Expect heavy resistance, including MECs, officers, turrets, and potentially a Chosen. Success in this mission liberates the region completely, removing ADVENT control and expanding your strategic reach.
Strategic Tips for Successful Liberation
Maintain Stealth and Control
In LWOTC, ADVENT vigilance increases based on your activity in a region. Sending large squads on frequent missions will increase alert levels, making future missions harder to infiltrate. To keep things manageable:
- Limit the number of full-squad operations in one region.
- Use stealth-based squads (1- to 3-man teams) for early liberation missions.
- Consider using the Infiltration mechanic to go in at 100% or higher for max advantage.
Infiltrate Properly
One of the key mechanics in LWOTC is the infiltration system. Missions become significantly easier when your squad has time to reach 100%+ infiltration. Try not to launch liberation missions under-infiltrated unless it’s unavoidable. Use boosted infiltration only if you’re confident your squad can handle a tough scenario.
Build Balanced Squads
Each liberation mission may call for a different squad composition. Assassination missions benefit from sharpshooters and shinobis, while sabotage operations might need grenadiers and specialists. For the final liberation mission, bring your A-team with upgraded weapons, healing, and crowd control capabilities.
Coordinate Resistance Management
Assign rebels wisely to balance between Intel gathering and hiding. As ADVENT vigilance rises, rebels are more likely to be killed or captured. Keep some rebels on the Hide job during high-alert periods to preserve their numbers. Using Haven Advisors who provide concealment bonuses can also reduce the risk of retaliatory strikes.
Handle Retaliation Missions Quickly
If ADVENT detects too much rebel activity, they may launch a haven assault. Always be prepared to respond to these missions promptly. Losing a haven means losing Intel generation and manpower, which can stall your liberation efforts for weeks. Keeping squads on standby for quick-response missions is a good idea if you’re pushing liberation in multiple regions.
Post-Liberation Benefits
Income and Resistance Bonuses
Once liberated, the region will provide full monthly supply income. You can also install a radio tower to reduce contact costs and further improve income. Liberated regions can also become key hubs for soldier recruitment, healing, and training depending on haven setup.
Strategic Control and Map Influence
With a liberated region, you gain total scanning control. This means easier management of missions, improved retaliation defense, and more efficient contact with neighboring regions. It also helps cut off ADVENT supply lines, reducing global strength and weakening future enemy deployments.
Reduce Global ADVENT Strength
Every successful liberation reduces ADVENT’s global power slightly. If you can liberate several regions, their reinforcements and dark events become less frequent and less powerful. This shift can give you the upper hand going into mid- and late-game campaign stages.
Liberating a region in XCOM 2: Long War of the Chosen is a long but rewarding process. It requires careful rebel management, proper infiltration, mission success, and tactical planning. Understanding the mission chain, avoiding overexposure, and maintaining strategic pressure can turn contested territories into strongholds of resistance. Whether you’re liberating your first region or pushing back ADVENT on multiple fronts, mastering this process is a cornerstone of victory in LWOTC. Take it one step at a time, and soon your campaign will gain the momentum it needs to crush the alien occupation for good.