Firaxis’ XCOM: Enemy Unknown and its explosive expansion, Enemy Within, are celebrated for their brutal difficulty and unforgiving permadeath. Losing a seasoned Colonel to a lucky Critical Hit from a Sectoid is a rite of passage. However, sometimes you don’t want to fight the RNG gods. Sometimes, you want to test a strategy, fix a game-breaking bug, skip the grind, or simply unleash god-like power upon the alien menace.
That is where Console Commands come in.
Enabling the developer console in XCOM: Enemy Within opens a treasure trove of cheats, debug tools, and quality-of-life fixes. This guide will walk you through everything: from enabling the console to the most useful commands, and the risks involved.
Before we list the commands, you need to understand syntax.
Almost every command follows this pattern: Command [parameter] console commands xcom enemy within
Crucial: You must use a space between the command and the parameter. You do not use brackets. For example:
Most commands are case-insensitive, but it’s good practice to match the capitalization shown in the lists below.
The syntax for giving items is GiveItem [ItemID] [Amount].
Example: GiveItem AssaultRifle_CV 1
Here is a list of common item prefixes. You usually append the tier code to the end of the weapon name. Firaxis’ XCOM: Enemy Unknown and its explosive expansion,
Weapons:
Armor:
MEC Suits (Enemy Within):
Warning: Spawning enemies on the strategy layer can corrupt your save. Only use these in a tactical mission. Warning 2: Spawned units are neutral at first. You must get close to activate them. Before we list the commands, you need to understand syntax
| Command | Effect |
| :--- | :--- |
| SpawnUnit ePawnType_Sectoid 0 | Spawns a friendly Sectoid. (Change 0 to 1 for enemy). |
| SpawnUnit ePawnType_Cyberdisc 1 | Spawns an enemy Cyberdisc. Good luck. |
| SpawnUnit ePawnType_Mechtoid 1 | Spawns an enemy Mechtoid (requires a Sectoid commander nearby to shield it). |
| SpawnUnit ePawnType_Berserker 1 | Spawns an enemy Berserker. It will charge you immediately. |
| SpawnUnit ePawnType_Ethereal 1 | Spawns the final boss type. Insanely dangerous. |
Tip for Spawning: Save your game before spawning. Nothing ruins a run like a Chryssalid appearing directly inside your Support's skull.
Here is the definitive list, categorized by what they do.
| Command | Effect |
|--------|--------|
| GiveResource money X | Adds X credits (e.g., GiveResource money 500) |
| GiveResource alloys X | Adds X alloys |
| GiveResource elerium X | Adds X elerium |
| GiveResource meld X | Adds X meld |
| GiveEngineer X | Adds X engineers |
| GiveScientist X | Adds X scientists |
| GiveItem MELD X | Same as above for meld |