2K and 2K Marin, makers of BioShock 2, announced today that The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will be released on August 20, 2013 in North America and August 23, 2013 internationally on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC.

“We’re thrilled about 2K Marin’s refined vision for The Bureau: XCOM Declassified,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “The game has evolved through a creative and iterative development process, and the result is a narrative-driven experience that is smart, engaging, and challenges players to think tactically.”

“The Bureau tells the story of XCOM’s mysterious beginnings,” said Morgan Gray, creative director at 2K Marin. “We’re expanding the universe with a declassified tale of government conspiracy and heroic cover-ups told through third-person tactical gameplay.”

Set in 1962 at the height of the Cold War, The Bureau tells the origin story of the clandestine XCOM organisation’s first encounter with a mysterious and devastating enemy. In the spirit of the XCOM franchise, The Bureau’s calculated combat design requires players to think and act tactically.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified can be pre-ordered today at all participating retailers. Those who pre-order will receive the Codebreakers side-mission as a bonus.