2K Games announces The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is now available in North America, offering a tactical third-person shooter based on the XCOM series of UFO strategy games. The launch trailer was released yesterday, and here's word on the release of the game:

NEW YORK - Aug. 20, 2013: 2K and 2K Marin, makers of BioShock® 2, announced today that The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is now available in North America and will be available internationally on August 23, 2013 for the Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. The Bureau is a daringly different blend of the strategy and action genres, resulting in a challenging tactical shooter that’s refreshingly deep, original, and according to Game Informer, “worthy of the XCOM name.”

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is a third-person tactical shooter that tells the cold war era origin story of the clandestine XCOM organization. Players step into the boots of Special Agent William Carter, a battlefield commander and The Bureau’s top field agent, and must lead a squad of America’s best against an overwhelming alien threat.

“In 2012 Firaxis’ XCOM: Enemy Unknown blazed a trail for the XCOM brand, which is an important part of 2K’s growing portfolio,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Today, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified paves the way for continued expansion of the beloved XCOM universe.”

Set in 1962 at the height of the Cold War, The Bureau tells the origin story of the clandestine XCOM organization, the covert war it led against a mysterious enemy, and its efforts to erase the truth about the alien threat. As a third-person tactical shooter, The Bureau delivers a new experience using the classic XCOM formula by taking players out of the familiar god-like view of strategy games and dropping them into the boots of a battlefield commander in the thick of combat. Players assume control of special agent William Carter, and command their squad mates using an innate “Battle Focus” ability to develop and execute calculated, tactical plans in real-time. As our last line of defense, the player’s every command can mean the difference between life and death for Carter, his squad and mankind.

“The Bureau: XCOM Declassified demands tactical thinking and intelligent play, and rewards players with real challenges and real consequences,” said Morgan Gray, development director at 2K Marin. “With permadeath for squad mates and the tense decision-making that XCOM games are known for, The Bureau stays true to its roots while giving players a new way to experience the XCOM universe.”

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is rated M for Mature by the ESRB and is available now for Xbox 360, PS3 and Windows PC. For more information on The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, subscribe on YouTube, become a fan on Facebook, follow 2K on Twitter and visit the official web site at http://erasethetruth.com. To watch a live action video series based on The Bureau, visit the official YouTube playlist.