

While the Chosen can be slain in battle, they will resurrect themselves and continue their efforts to recapture the Commander until XCOM can find and attack the strongholds which hold the equipment that lets them come back from the dead this is accomplished through a chain of Covert Actions. Their stats also increase as the game goes on, making them an increasingly greater threat over time. The Chosen receive a procedurally generated set of strengths and weaknesses each campaign, augmenting their already impressive abilities but providing XCOM a means to fight them more effectively. Captured soldiers continue to provide information until freed by a Covert Action. Dazed soldiers are unable to act for a prolonged period of time and can be interrogated or even kidnapped by the Chosen so they can gather enough information about XCOM to assault the Avenger. While each of them is dangerous in battle and can show up on normal missions without warning, their true threat comes from their ability to Daze soldiers. Like EXALT, they will interfere in the strategic layer of the game with methods such as reducing income in a region, destroying inventory items, and making Scientists and Engineers unusable. Following the Commander's return, they were ordered to recapture him and will stop at nothing to do so. The titular antagonists of the expansion, the Chosen are said to be the greatest champions of the Elders.

Explosions attract the attention of Lost swarms, but they are weak to fire. They are weak individually, but travel in massive groups that pose a much greater threat.

