How to Increase Squad Size in Aliens: Dark Descent

Having more members in your squad in Aliens: Dark Descent helps you progress the game’s story more swiftly as it increases your chance of survival against the waves of enemies you encounter in almost every mission. 

You start the game with a single marine and soon form a four-person squad after completing the very first mission. While having four members is more than enough for the starting few missions, soon, you will notice that an extra member is needed to tackle the campaign. 

However, the game doesn’t tell you how to increase your squad size further. And this is where our guide comes in handy. So keep reading! 

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How to Increase Squad Size in Aliens: Dark Descent

In Aliens: Dark Descent, you can increase your squad size by simply progressing the game’s story until Mission 6, called Atmospheric Nightmare. At the near end of the mission, when you make your way to the Basement 1 area, you will find an APC, which you can unlock to get the fifth member in your squad—increasing the overall squad size. 

When you find the APC in the Basement 1 area, you will find it locked. To unlock it, you must have a Tecker class marine or the respective upgrade to open the door. So, basically, you can increase your squad size by playing through the game’s campaign. 

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Missions in Aliens: Dark Descent take much time and effort to complete. So it will take around ten-plus in-game hours to reach the point when you can unlock the fifth member of your squad. 

That concludes our guide on how to increase your squad size in Aliens: Dark Descent. For more on Aliens: Dark Descent, check out our dedicated guides section.