Xcom Enemy Within Dev Console Full (2026)

The XCOM: Enemy Within dev console full is the ultimate equalizer. It transforms the game from a punishing survival sim into a tactical sandbox. Whether you are a veteran looking to test a wild squad composition against three Sectopods, or a frustrated player who just lost their entire A-team to a single Cyberdisc, the console is your best friend.

Remember the golden rule: Back up your saves. A console is a tool. A hammer can build a house or break a window. Use your power wisely, Commander.

Now that you have the full command list and the activation method, go forth. Give yourself 10,000 Meld. Teleport your sniper to the roof. And watch those aliens burn.

Did we miss a command? Check the XComConsoleCommands file in your game directory for a complete list of developer strings.

XCOM: Enemy Within , the developer console is not enabled by default, and common launch parameters like -allowconsole often only work for XCOM 2. To use console commands in Enemy Within, you generally must either use a third-party patcher or manually bind commands to specific keys in the game's configuration files. Enabling the Console There are two primary methods to access these commands: Manual Keybinding (No Mod Required):

Navigate to your game directory, typically: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\XCom-Enemy-Unknown\XEW\XcomGame\Config. Open DefaultInput.ini and locate the appropriate section: Tactical (In-Mission): Under [XcomGame.XcomTacticalInput]. Strategy (Base/Ant-Farm): Under [Engine.PlayerInput].

Add a line using this format: .Bindings=(Name="K", Command="[COMMAND]", Alt=True) (replace K with your preferred key and [COMMAND] with one of the options below). PatcherGUI (Full Console Access):

Download PatcherGUI and a Dev Console Patch (often found on the XCOM Nexus Mods or included with the Long War mod).

Once patched, you can usually open the console in-game using the Backslash ( \ ) or Tilde ( ~ ) key. Essential Console Commands Once enabled, use these commands to modify your game state: Tactical (Combat) Commands Dev Console (Long War) - UFOpaedia

You can unlock and use the full developer console in XCOM: Enemy Within .

Because the expansion hard-codes the console to "false", traditional launch parameters like -allowconsole will not work. You must use either custom keybindings or a modded file to get it running. 🛠️ Option 1: The Keybinding Method (No Mods)

This is the safest method if you only need a few specific commands. You map designated console commands directly to custom hotkeys.

Navigate to your game files. The default path is usually:...\Steam\steamapps\common\XCom-Enemy-Unknown\XEW\XComGame\Config\ Create a backup of DefaultInput.ini. Open DefaultInput.ini in a text editor. xcom enemy within dev console full

Decide if your cheat is for the strategy layer (HQ) or the tactical layer (combat). For HQ base cheats, find the line: [Engine.PlayerInput]

For Combat cheats, find the line: [XComGame.XComTacticalInput]

Add your custom binding line directly underneath that header:.Bindings=(Name="U", Command="restartlevel", Alt=True)

Save the file. In-game, press Alt + U to trigger that command. 🔓 Option 2: Full Dev Console (Requires Mod)

To open a fully functional drop-down command line where you can freely type any script, you must override the engine. Head over to the XCOM Nexus Mods platform.

Download the Engine.upk replacement file intended for activating the developer console in vanilla Enemy Within or the Long War mod.

Back up your original file and replace it in your installation directory.

Launch the game and press the backslash key \ (or sometimes ~ or ') to drop down the active console. 📜 Essential Console Commands

Use these exact strings in your keybindings or directly in the drop-down modded console:

To access the developer console in XCOM: Enemy Within , you generally have two options: manually binding specific commands to keys in the game files or using a mod to enable the full tilde (~) console. Unlike XCOM 2, simply adding a launch parameter often does not work for the Enemy Within expansion. Option 1: Manual Keybindings (No Mods)

This is the most reliable way to use commands in the "Enemy Within" expansion without external tools. Locate the Config File : Navigate to your installation folder, typically:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\XCom-Enemy-Unknown\XEW\XComGame\Config\ DefaultInput.ini : Use a text editor like Notepad. Back up this file first Add Bindings : Find the relevant section and add your desired command. For Tactical (Combat) Commands [XComGame.XComTacticalInput] For Base/Strategy Commands [Engine.PlayerInput] Insert the Line : Use the following format: .Bindings=(Name="[KEY]", Command="[COMMAND]", Alt=True) .Bindings=(Name="U", Command="restartlevel", Alt=True) will restart the mission when you press Steam Community Option 2: Full Dev Console (Mod Required) To unlock the full text-entry console (the tilde key The XCOM: Enemy Within dev console full is

), you must use a community-made patch because the expansion patched out the original executable's console access. Steam Community PatcherGUI : Users on the XCOM Steam Community recommend downloading PatcherGUI Dev Console patch (usually a modification) from the XCOM Nexus Mods : If you use the

mod, the console is often enabled by default or available via a separate download on the Long War Nexus page Essential Console Commands

Once enabled or bound, these are some of the most common commands: Console Commands on Enemy Within - XCOM - Steam Community

Master the XCOM: Enemy Within Developer Console The developer console in XCOM: Enemy Within (EW) is a powerful tool for players looking to experiment with game mechanics, recover from devastating bugs, or simply bypass the game's brutal difficulty. Unlike the newer XCOM 2, enabling the console in the original expansion is a bit more complex due to official patches that disabled traditional hex-editing and shell menu methods. How to Enable the Dev Console

There are two primary ways to access console commands in the current version of the game: Method 1: Keybinding (No External Mods Required)

This is the simplest way to execute specific commands by mapping them directly to keys.

Navigate to your installation folder: Steam/steamapps/common/XCom-Enemy-Unknown/XEW/XcomGame/Config/.

Open DefaultInput.ini with a text editor (e.g., Notepad). Always make a backup first.

For Tactical (Battle) Commands: Search for [XComGame.XComTacticalInput] and add your bind below it.

Example: .Bindings=(Name="U", Command="restartlevel", Alt=True)

For Strategy (Base) Commands: Search for [Engine.PlayerInput] and add your bind there.

Example: .Bindings=(Name="M", Command="GiveCash 1000", Alt=True). Method 2: The Full Dev Console (Long War or PatcherGUI) Did we miss a command

To get the actual "type-to-command" prompt (~ or ), you typically need a modified Engine.upk file.

Long War Players: The Long War mod on Nexus includes a "Dev Console" option in its misc files.

Base EW Players: You can use PatcherGUI to apply a "Developer Console Activation" patch (often found as a .txt file on Nexus Mods) to your game. Essential Console Commands

Once enabled, these commands can drastically alter your campaign: Dev Console (Long War) - UFOpaedia

Now for the main event. The console is case-sensitive and uses specific syntax. Here is the complete lexicon of useful commands.

The "Partial" vs "Full" Console: The base console only allows a handful of commands. To get the full dev console with every cheat, you need to navigate to Documents\My Games\XCOM - Enemy Within\XComGame\Config and edit the XComInput.ini file. Bind a key to TypedConsole if it isn't already.

The console does not corrupt saves, but spawning invalid objects does. Never spawn mission-critical NPCs (like the Transponder or VIPs). Always keep a "Clean Save" from before you started cheating.

Using the raw console in XCOM: Enemy Within is often buggy and limited. Many IDs for items or aliens are not exposed simply by typing them.

For full development access (spawning units, changing classes instantly, modifying HP/AP), the industry standard is the "Enemy Within Debug Mode" mod.

While the console allows you to type commands, installing this mod (available via Nexus Mods or the Workshop wrapper) adds a specific Debug Menu button to the top-left of the tactical UI. This menu provides clickable buttons for:

EItem_AssaultRifle      EItem_PlasmaSniper
EItem_CarapaceArmor     EItem_GhostArmor
EItem_Medikit           EItem_ArcThrower
EItem_SCOPE             EItem_MimicBeacon
EItem_TitanArmor        EItem_PsiArmor
EItem_Shiv              EItem_HoverShiv

| Command | Effect | |---------|--------| | ShowDebugManager | Displays current game state flags | | ShowAI | Toggles visualization of alien AI pathfinding nodes | | ShowLog | Dumps latest engine log to console | | GetGlobalVar <var name> | Internal variable inspector | | SetGlobalVar <var name> <value> | Change internal global variables (advanced) | | Exit | Closes the game |

| Command | Effect | |---------|--------| | GiveResource meld X | Adds X meld (e.g., GiveResource meld 500) | | GiveResource money X | Adds X credits | | GiveResource alloys X | Adds X alloys | | GiveResource elerium X | Adds X elerium | | GiveResource scientists X | Adds X scientists | | GiveResource engineers X | Adds X engineers |