What we can say with confidence
A composition guide should answer what the squad can handle, not just name four classes. The team needs answers for swarms, dangerous specials, recovery after a down, elemental coverage and ammunition pressure. Class stacking can still work if builds solve those jobs in other ways. The line this guide will not cross is equally important: if a value, drop, location, unlock threshold or balance conclusion is not supported by the current evidence, it is described as unknown or provisional rather than filled in from the first game.
That matters especially during launch week, when search results can mix official information, preview builds and copied speculation. The Last verified date and evidence badges at the top are part of the answer, not decoration.
Official facts versus hands-on evidence
Official-confirmed information comes from the publisher’s site or first-party storefronts. Hands-on tested means a previewer or developer-guided session visibly demonstrated the behavior before release. Neither label means the live game can never change: patches can alter balance and a preview build can differ from release.
When the page discusses a recommendation, read it as a decision framework. A recommendation becomes stronger only when the live build supports it across more than one encounter or difficulty. That is why this site avoids unsupported precision and records sources below the article.
How to make the class decision
For Aliens, begin with the problem your fireteam needs solved. The sequel is built for up to four players, so a class can be valuable because it controls space, keeps teammates standing, clears a swarm or removes a priority threat—not only because its personal damage number is high.
Then add progression. Perks and modifiers can reshape a standard class, and the Specialist later makes time spent across classes relevant. That means a class that feels simple at the start may open useful shared options later. Judge the whole progression path, not only the first mission.
Launch verification checklist
- Confirm the wording and values in the live UI before copying numbers.
- Reproduce an interaction more than once when it affects a recommendation.
- Note difficulty, class, weapon and relevant modifiers for balance-sensitive tests.
- Keep regional storefront facts separate from universal game mechanics.
- Mark player reports as player reports until they are independently reproduced.
This approach makes the guide slower to overclaim and faster to correct. If the final build contradicts a preview, the live build wins and the evidence label should change with it.