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XCOM's Alien Rulers Explained
Discover the lore behind XCOM 2's dreaded Alien Rulers. Learn who the Viper King, Berserker Queen, and Archon King are and why they hunt you.
What is it?
The Alien Rulers are a trio of unique, powerful alien boss units introduced in the Alien Hunters DLC for the strategy game XCOM 2. These genetically-engineered super-predators—the Viper King, the Berserker Queen, and the Archon King—were created by a rogue XCOM scientist to hunt down the Commander. Each Ruler possesses enhanced abilities and, most infamously, gets a free "Ruler Reaction" turn after every soldier action, making them incredibly dangerous and unpredictable opponents that can disrupt entire strategies.
Why is it trending?
The Rulers remain a hot topic due to their punishing and memorable game mechanics. Their sudden appearance in a mission creates high-stakes, emergent stories of desperate survival or heroic victory that players love to share online. As new players discover XCOM 2 through sales or its inclusion in game libraries, they encounter these formidable bosses for the first time, reigniting community discussions, strategy guides, and memes about their difficulty and unique design.
How does it affect people?
For players, an encounter with a Ruler fundamentally changes the game. It transforms a standard mission into a frantic puzzle of risk management, forcing players to prioritize targets and use special equipment to survive. This creates intense emotional highs and lows, from the frustration of losing a beloved soldier to the sheer exhilaration of finally defeating one. They are a defining, often feared, part of the XCOM 2 experience that tests a player's tactical skill to its absolute limit.