There had been evidence that the previously announced XCOM title had been either canceled or re-branded as a new title.

Looks like it was the latter. Today, 2K has announced that The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will hit North American store shelves on August 20 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. It'll launch in Europe three days later, as per usual.

Bioshock 2 creators 2K Marin bring you The Bureau , a third-person tactical shooter within the XCOM universe. You assume the role of special agent William Carter, and you pull the trigger and issue orders. Your squad of special agents are involved in a high-stakes secret war for the sake of humanity's survival. Set in 1962 during the Cold War, the plot involves the origin story of the clandestine XCOM organization's first encounter with a "mysterious and devastating enemy."

Said 2K president Christoph Hartmann:

"We’re thrilled about 2K Marin’s refined vision for The Bureau: XCOM Declassified. The game has evolved through a creative and iterative development process, and the result is a narrative-driven experience that is smart, engaging, and challenges players to think tactically."

The game will embrace "the spirit of the XCOM franchise," as it will be a blend of strategy and action. Carter will have a unique Battle Focus ability that will let him transition seamlessly in and out of real-time events. In other words, if you enjoyed last year's excellent XCOM: Enemy Unknown , you should really take to this new effort. Lastly, if you want to pre-order the game at participating retailers, you'll receive the Codebreakers side mission as a bonus. This one sounds like a winner!