this game already exists technically:
And it's a terrible piece of shit which doesn't have half the options UFO Defense did.
Xcom 2 + Wotc is a good game but totally different from the original Ufo
Xenonauts is a clone with worse graphics and atmosphere than the original Ufo
Phoenix Point is a clone of both Xcom 2 and the original Ufo and manages to being worse than both.
Xenounats 2 seems a clone of Xenonauts 1
It's mindblowing to see that one can just do a Ufo: Defense copy paste with Xcom 2 graphics to be a better game than all the above
Apparently, the NuXcom guy *DID* make Ufo: Defense in a modern engine. And every time he showed Sid Meier or the board, they hated it. Because it wasn't 'fun' or 'accessible' to the masses. The first time he did it, he says he was also unskilled, but the second time seems like it was a perfect remake...but no, it wouldn't sell. So he gutted it.
He should had told them to at least put it up digitally or something and see if there was a community who would buy it...ffs.
So...on a positive note, it's possible. But on a negative note, these profit loving boards and appeal to get the most cash as possible means they'll gut
something, and end up with something so watered down it ain't worth shit. Like fine, a lot of people think the move-and-action thing might be better than TUs, but NuXcom really has no excuse to allow only one fucking base, or their linear stories with one alien base or going for the whatever project in 2....
Any spiritual successor is going to have changes, fine. But UFO:AI had ridiculous, whiny nations that pulled your funding because a few civilians died. UFO:Extraterrestrials has weird mechanics and gutted content. UFO:AFterX is sort of close to the normal stuff, but one puts you on Mars with a few personnel, another has you dealing with a dead world, another with cyborgs and mutants???; what am I missing....