Believe it or not, the Gears of War project in development at Netflix might be one of the Xbox adaptations I'm most excited about. I am a Gears of War fan, and after what happened with the Halo TV series, I'm really hoping Netflix takes a completely different approach here.

I don't want another adaptation that treats the source material as optional. I want something that respects what made Gears special in the first place. A gritty, brutal story that actually feels authentic to the games.

Now, in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Xbox Chief Content Officer Matt Booty, along with details revealed by EW itself, has given us our clearest indication yet of what Netflix is planning. And honestly, it's left me feeling more optimistic than I expected.

Instead of beating around the bush, let's look at the direct quotes:

"Netflix announced a live-action Gears of War movie from director David Leitch (The Fall Guy, Bullet Train) and writer Jon Spaihts (Dune: Part III). EW can exclusively reveal that the film will tell 'the origin story of Delta Squad, a ragtag crew of soldiers who wage a desperate war for survival against the Locust, a race of subterranean creatures set on destroying humanity,' according to an official description."

Matt Booty expanded on that by saying:

"The game really is about the bonds between teams. It's about brotherhood at its core. When you go visit the studio, their tagline is 'Never Fight Alone.'"

Now, I don't know about you, but that certainly gets me excited. Gears has always been at its best when it's focused on the relationships between its characters, and not just about the locust and such. If Netflix genuinely understands that the heart of Gears is brotherhood, survival, and fighting impossible odds together, then this adaptation might actually have a shot.

It's even one of those adaptations I think I'll end up forcing my parents to watch as part of my ongoing, and so far largely unsuccessful, mission to get them interested in the things I like.

It’s a great time to be a Gears of War fan, though, especially with E-Day releasing this year, exclusively on Xbox. We also got plenty of other details about Xbox's entertainment ambitions, including a small update on Halo and the surprise announcement of a Sea of Thieves movie. So, at least when it comes to film and television, Xbox seems to be thinking pretty big right now.

But let me know your thoughts. Are these details enough to get you excited about the Gears of War adaptation? Be sure to leave a comment and take part in our poll!

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Microsoft has announced that it will be attending this year's Gamescom event to announce a bunch of Xbox news, host Xbox FanFest, and present the first playable public demo of Gears of War: E-Day, which will give players a sneak peek at its campaign mode.

However, some Gears of War fans are itching to see more gameplay footage of this highly anticipated prequel to the franchise. So, the game's developers, Coalition, decided to sate their appetite with a tech demo for Gears of War: E-Day at Unreal Fest Chicago.

This tech demo doesn't show much combat gameplay, as it focuses more on how detailed the game's presentation is, thanks to the Unreal Engine, from its lighting, environmental details, physics, atmosphere, etc.

Gears of War: E-Day then showed a sneak peek at one of its cinematic cutscenes where Marcus Fenix and other soldiers retreat from an encroaching horde of Locust.

As for Xbox FanFest, this will be the second stop of its comeback world tour. Much like its previous appearance at the June 2026 Xbox Games Showcase, it will feature a bevy of activities for Xbox fans to partake in, like playing video games, competitions, Q&As with the game developers, cosplay, and more.

Gamescom 2026 is set to take place from August 26 to August 30, 2026, and will host a variety of other video game announcements and public demos from other developers like Capcom, for example.

Microsoft also has plenty more announcements in store in the lead-up to Gamescom, so stay tuned as we keep an eye out for info in the coming months.

🗨️ Over to you

Are you looking forward to Gamescom 2026? What games are you looking forward to see there?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know in the comments, on Reddit, or in the poll below.

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I'd like to say it's a surprise, but it really isn't. Gears of War: E-Day had a fantastic showing during this year's showcase season, and thanks to data provided by LevelUp, a marketing analytics company focused on the gaming industry, we now have a clearer picture of just how much of a splash it made.

Gears of War: E-Day ranked fifth among the best-performing games between June 1, 2026, and June 11, 2026, placing it among the most covered, watched, and discussed titles of the showcase season. It's not the only Xbox game to make the list, either.

Before we jump into what other game made the list, let’s go over how these rankings work. The rankings are based on a combination of trailer performance, press coverage, and community engagement. Each game is scored across those categories, with the results combined into a comparative index that can be compared between each game.

It's great to see Gears of War: E-Day perform so well, too. The game genuinely looks fantastic, and based on the reaction so far, it seems plenty of people agree.

Another game that also looks fantastic is Spyro: A Realm Reborn, which I covered yesterday after its trailer surpassed 10 million views, beating the likes of PlayStation's Wolverine on YouTube. On LevelUp's index, Spyro: A Realm Reborn came in ninth place, which is an impressive result in its own right, showing that there is indeed keen interest for Spyro's return.

As for the rest of the rankings, first place went to God of War: Laufey, followed by The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake in second. Resident Evil Veronica took third place, while Wolverine finished fourth, just ahead of Gears of War: E-Day in fifth.

It’s all just data, and honestly, it could not amount to much, but it’s still great to see two Xbox franchises on the list, and with that said, let me know your thoughts on the list in the comments and be sure to take part in our poll!

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If you're like me, there's a good chance you grew up in a time when split-screen gaming was the norm and something you simply expected. Whether it was on the original Xbox with Halo: Combat Evolved or later with Gears of War on the Xbox 360, these shared couch co-op moments helped define the early days of Xbox.

As Halo fans know, split-screen has become a bit of a sore spot over the years. After being promised campaign split-screen co-op following its absence in Halo 5, Halo Infinite ultimately never delivered on that promise. It's something many fans, myself included, have wanted for a long time.

Thankfully, it looks like we're finally getting a double dose of good news. Both Halo: Campaign Evolved and Gears of War: E-Day will feature two-player split-screen co-op, meaning that yes, couch co-op is back, and I for one couldn’t be happier about it.

Starting with Halo: Campaign Evolved, Halo Studios released a new video detailing the game's co-op features. The game will support four-player cross-platform co-op, as well as two-player split-screen co-op on console.

Interestingly, the split-screen reveal came via a YouTube Short of all things. In it, we get some playful commentary from the new voice actor for Sgt. Avery Johnson, so I definitely recommend checking out the full short if you want all the details.

As for Gears of War: E-Day, the reveal actually came during the Xbox Games Showcase, or more specifically, the E-Day Direct that followed. During the presentation, it was revealed:

“In Campaign, all four characters are playable from the start, and we support four-player online co-op and two-player split screen on console.”

Personally, I'm just excited to see the return of split-screen gaming again. I have so many fond memories of playing through the earlier Halo games with a friend, and even the thought of someone else getting to create those same memories with their friends or family puts a smile on my face.

Whether it puts a smile on yours or not is another matter entirely, and both answers are perfectly fine. Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll!

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Gears of War: E-Day Direct has come and gone, and what a show it was. From entirely new movement mechanics to a much more grounded and open campaign, the latest entry in the war on Locusts is breathtaking to look at, and hopefully just as breathtaking to play.

Here’s every highlight I was able to catch during the show!

Story and gameplay areas

As we’ve known previously, Gears of War: E Day will showcase two of the most iconic characters in the Gears franchise, Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago. What we didn’t know was that this would come without the pre-built relationship.

Coming home as wandering war veterans looking for where they fit in, Dom and Marcus are seen together celebrating the life of Dom’s brother and Marcus’s best friend, Carlos Santiago. You see, Carlos was the one who connected the two, as Dom and Marcus were never previously close. Their connection had always been someone between them.

By the time Gears of War 1 occurs, these two have been to hell and back, strengthening that lifelong knowledge of one another into a true friendship that plays at the heart of the original trilogy. Seeing these two grow into that role will be something Gears players have yet to experience, and one even my non-gamer wife is interested in playing through (points for me).

The campaign will be centered around the city of Kalona, which was built similarly to the coal towns of yesterday. Emulsion is all the craze, and Kalona was born and grew as a central hub for emulsion activity.

As the campaign progresses, players will journey across the entire cityscape over multiple days as they watch the once bright city uncontrollably fall apart. Replaying through central city areas will be different every time, as each passing will come in the face of more destruction to the homes of people around you.

Players will also have access to dynamic events that play out depending on just how interested they are in exploring the areas each level presents. From people who need rescue in a crumbling apartment, to soldiers who could use some backup at an ambush point, you’ll be able to choose what’s important to you as the mission unfolds.

To play through these new, more open areas, something else was needed. One thing I know Gears purists love is the movement mechanics. Not much has changed on that avenue for quite a few entries, but for the first time in a long while, we’re getting a hefty overhaul!

Modernized movement mechanics

First is the slide mechanic! Footage of this made the feature look like it was something that’s always been part of the series. Not only can players slide into coverage or toward an enemy, but they can also slide underneath obstacles to get a jump on someone from the other side.

Seeing this in the campaign mode was one thing, but seeing it in multiplayer will change the gameplay of the core Gears experience quite a bit. A chance significant enough that Gears just moved up to my number one most-wanted multiplayer title.

They’ve also added JUMPING IN GEARS OF WAR?! Say what? I never in all my years thought they would add a jumping mechanic to the rodeo show game. From what I can tell, this still seems a little limited.

Thankfully, I don’t think we’ll see any bunny-hopping shotgun users coming at us in multiplayer; instead, it appears that the focus is limited to jumping over gaps and up onto higher ledges than before. Rather than only being able to shuffle on top of a ledge that’s waist height, players can jump onto something above their head to pull themselves up.

In turn, this is meant to lead to greater verticality and a sense of freedom in the playable environments. I can already see a wider variety of routes being created throughout campaign and multiplayer matches, where players won’t be limited to triple-wide ramps up to the main area. Instead, they’ll be able to make use of natural environment cover, which means even more moments to use the GNASHER!

New low ground cover also signals a drastic change in combat, as players can now lie low on shorter ledges. Popping up to shoot from these cover spots means more of the player will be exposed, but getting a quick moment of relief, no matter how small it is, will create less stagnant gameplay as a result.

Customized destruction technology

Cover is not only scalable from a height perspective, but also dynamic in terms of destruction, as pillars, road blocks, and more all feature micro-destruction. You won’t be blowing up entire buildings, but rather, the world is destructible on a scale that makes sense.

The tops of cover areas won’t last forever under the stress of extended gunfire, revealing the tops of players and enemies alike. But that dynamic destruction doesn’t end there.

E-holes are no longer pre-defined, as E-Holes now come within random areas of the map. No longer will you be able to “pre-nade” oddly specific-looking places, as these holes will open near players for an added layer of challenge to the chaos of an unraveling city.

Retaining a classic look while redefining fidelity

Gears has also been overhauled visually, with higher-fidelity models featuring more detail in Marcus Fenix's eyebrows than his entire character model did in the original Xbox 360 game. Even with added fidelity, they made sure to retain the look and feel of Marcus Fenix without leaning into some sort of scary uncanny valley scenario.

All of this with real-time ray-tracing at 60 FPS. With a glorious 120 FPS target for multiplayer game modes. I am announcing that I will be shooting each and every neon sign!

All will come with great beauty under the pleasure of brand new weapons like the incinerator, an acid-burning shotgun that literally melts the flesh from enemies. Or a manually triggered grenade launcher that will be perfect for those who like to pretend a rock will protect them forever.

Multiplayer is back

From the get-go, all four characters will be available in four-player coop for the campaign. You won’t be locked out of having to complete any tutorial. You and your friend (or my wife and I) will also have the astounding pleasure of playing Gears of War: E-Day in full split-screen mode!

I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to see split-screen getting love in 2026 with brand new titles. Too often, these games and series ditch local cooperative play in favor of a dual-screen experience, but there’s just something else about setting up on a couch with your friends or loved ones to play a few hours of Gears of War that would be lost without the feature.

Hopefully, that splitscreen applies to online as well, because returning alongside the revamped multiplayer experience is a new Horde mode, called Horde Siege. The mode will feature 12-player arenas as players cooperatively battle together to take out the never-ending Locust swarms, with more information becoming available at a later date!

Players who pre-order now will get access to the beta (that will eventually become an open beta) on August 6, 2026. While true Emergence begins on October 6, 2026. Coming exclusively to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC.

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I don't get as excited about "ERMAGHERD EXCLUSIVES" as a lot of folks out there, but there's no denying it's a hot topic people really care about.

As we wait for the big Xbox/Gears of War double-header later on today, exclusive fans will love what we're hearing.

According to Jeff Grubb on Giant Bomb's latest Summer Game Fest show, Gears of War: E-Day was planned to be on PS5, but now it is not. Potentially this marks new XBOX CEO Asha Sharma's first big call on platform exclusivity.

Gears of War: E-Day was first revealed a couple of years ago, and obviously since then XBOX has been pretty keen to put its first-party games out there on PS5. Forza Horizon 5 was a smash hit when it made its debut on Sony's console, and Halo is primed to make its first appearance with Campaign Evolved.

Both of those are old games, though, as was Gears of War: Reloaded when it launched on PS5. The Gears and Halo that PS5 players have had and will be getting might be 'new,' but they're both decades-old games at their core.

Pulling the plug on Gears of War: E-Day for PS5 would be a pretty huge call and represent a shift in strategy and no doubt one that the fans of platform exclusives will be singing about from the rooftops.

Unlike PlayStation, though, XBOX will continue to support PC with all its biggest releases, I mean, it's a Microsoft platform after all. But it looks like giving all the goodies to the other side could start to slow down.

I can see some sense in it, for sure. Multiplayer games like Forza Horizon 6, you want in as many places as possible. Live service franchises live and die by having as many players as possible.

We'll soon find out for sure, though. The Xbox Showcase starts tonight at 10am Pacific, 6pm BST, and the Gears of War: E-Day show is right after it.

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Gears of War, as I'm sure you know, needs no introduction, as it's one of Xbox's flagship franchises and one that I immediately associate with the brand. Having completed the original Gears of War for the first time in years on Insane difficulty with my friend last year, it left me wanting more.

Now, a year later, it seems the community has taken up the mantle with Gears of War: Redux, a full community-built overhaul of the original PC version of Gears of War.

Featuring new maps, custom maps, Horde Mode, and a long list of additional features, this ambitious project aims to breathe new life into a classic that I believe desperately needed it. Let's take a look at everything included in this impressive overhaul.

The overhaul aims to improve AI, add new features, modernize the game's feel, and improve accessibility. It also adds support for 4K resolutions, ultrawide displays, and improved FOV handling, while making the game more compatible with modern hardware and addressing issues that have plagued the title for over two decades.

Personally, what gets me most excited is the inclusion of Horde Mode, complete with 50-wave progression, as well as support for Gears of War 2 maps, custom community maps, split-screen co-op, and even Xbox 360-style achievements. For a game that first launched on PC back in 2007, it's an impressive list of additions that I thought were worth bringing attention to.

If you're like me and love Gears of War, it's definitely worth checking out. The project is set to release on June 17, 2026, and if you want more details, you can join the community discord by clicking here. After what I felt was a pretty disappointing remaster with Gears of War: Reloaded, I'm eager to give this a try when it launches, especially with Gears of War: E-Day on the horizon.

I'd love to hear what you think of Gears of War: Redux. Is this something you'll be checking out when it releases? Let me know in the comments, and as always, make sure you take part in our poll!

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On May 9, 2026, WWE announced during its Backlash PLE that an upcoming PLE called Triplemania 34 will be sponsored by Gears of War: E-Day, and will go live on September 11, 2026, and September 13, 2026.

On the surface, this isn't anything special, as WWE in recent years has received plenty of sponsorships from AAA videogames like DOOM: The Dark Ages, Diablo 4, and Borderlands 4, to name a few.

However, as pointed out by Video Games Chronicle, this is potentially major news for Gears of War: E-Day, as this could provide hints at when this highly anticipated prequel for the Gears of War franchise will be released.

For example, during WWE's Clash in Paris on August 31, the Street Profits dressed as Borderlands' iconic Psycho enemies as part of a Borderlands 4 sponsorship, just two days after the game's September 12, 2026, release date was announced.

Then, recently at WWE's WrestleMania 42 PLE, which ran April 18, 2026, to April 19, 2026, Penta dressed up as Mortal Kombat's iconic villain, Shao Kahn, as part of a sponsorship for the Mortal Kombat 2 movie, which released a month later on May 8, 2026.

Windows Central's take

Now, based on these examples, I believe it is likely that when Triplemania 34 arrives on September 11, 2026, one of two things could happen:

• 1. Gears of War: E-Day's release date will be announced around the same time as Triplemania 34.
• 2. Gears of War: E-Day's release date will be announced months prior (probably during the Xbox Games Showcase on June 7, 2026) and be released around the same month as or next month after Triplemania 34.

Of course, all of this is speculation and not concrete evidence because, for all we know, Gears of War: E-Day's release date could be announced later down the road at the 2026 Game Awards and be released in 2027. Anything could happen in the video games industry after all.

Either way, we will have to wait for the Xbox Games Showcase to see if all this speculation turns out to be true.

One thing's for sure, players are getting fired to return to the mad world of Gears of War as Gears of War: E-Day is taking fans back to the origins of its most beloved heroes, Marcus and Dom, and finally showing the day when the Locust began its never-ending war on humanity.

I know my friends and I are itching to play Gears of War: E-Day as we have fond memories of the original Gears of War trilogy (though I could do without dealing with the Kryll ever again), so seeing Marcus and Dom team again for one more adventure (even if it's in the past) will be a fun, nostalgic, goretastic, thrill-ride.

🗨️Over to you

When do you think Gears of War: E-Day will be released? Do you think WWE's Gears of War: E-Day sponsorship gives us a hint when this game will be released, or do you think it's all a big coincidence?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let me know in the comments, on Reddit, or in the poll below.

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Original article (03/30/2026):

Microsoft has announced the airtimes for the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase 2026 event, which is scheduled to go live on June 7, 2026, at 10:00 am PST / 1:00 pm EST / 6:00 pm GMT.

This livestream will show off world premiere gameplay footage on upcoming first-party, third-party, and indie Xbox titles and other exciting announcements.

After the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 ends, it will be immediately followed by a stream purely dedicated to Gears of War: E-Day. This event will have the game's developer, Coalition Studio, showcase debut gameplay footage and provide additional info on this highly anticipated prequel to the legendary Gears of War franchise.

The full airtimes for the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 are as follows:

• PDT: June 7, 10:00 am
• EDT: June 7, 1:00 pm
• BST: June 7, 6:00 pm
• CEST: June 7, 7:00 pm
• JST: June 8, 2:00 am
• AEST: June 8, 3:00 am

It will be available to watch in over 40 languages along with American Sign Language, British Sign Language and English Audio Descriptions.

The platforms this event will be streamed on will include (but not limited to):

• YouTube.com/Xbox
• Twitch.tv/Xbox
• Twitch.tv/XboxASL
• Facebook.com/Xbox

On top of that, Microsoft has announced that Xbox FanFest will be making a return for this year's Xbox Games Showcase as part of Xbox's 25th anniversary celebrations.

For those unaware, Xbox FanFest is a community-driven event where Xbox fans get exclusive access to Xbox gameplay premieres, chat with the developers, take part in Xbox-themed games, and more.

This year's Xbox FanFest will be centred around looking back at Xbox's 25-year history and looking forward to what's in store for the platform in the future.

If you want to take part in this event for free, head to www.xbox.com/fanfest before the end of April 12, 2026, for a chance to win free tickets (do note that no purchases are necessary and that it's open for legal U.S. residents over 18 years old).

🗨️ Over to you

Are you excited for the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 and Gears of War: E-Day Direct? Will you be participating in 2026's Xbox FanFest?

If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll below, the comments section, or our Reddit page.

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Forza Horizon 6 has been shaping up to be the best entry in the series, at least, that’s what it looks like at a glance. The dazzling spectacle of Japan, coupled with all the new and shiny upgrades to the ForzaTech Engine, promises to bring denser traffic, more dynamic environments, and improvements that will bring the world to a level of detail never found in previous games. The whole adding things doesn’t seem to be the only direction that the franchise has taken.

The Forza Horizon team has announced that Forza Horizon 6 will no longer feature Club functionality. Since Xbox is removing Social Clubs from the platform this April, Playground is being forced to retire the feature as well, since it relies on that tech as the foundation for its later Forza games.

Not only does this change affect Forza Horizon 6, but it forces Playground to shut down social clubs down on Forza Horizon 5 and Forza Horizon 4. Forza Horizon 3 is not affected by this. Digging a little deeper, Forza Horizon 3 doesn’t use the Xbox Social Club feature as its backbone.

Why not just build it again?

Forza Horizon 3 used its own proprietary Social Club feature to get the job done, which in turn begs the question, why not just do the same thing for Forza Horizon 6?

For Forza Horizon 4 and 5, there’s very little reason to continue to update the games so long into their life cycle, with the sequel only months away. There will be far fewer players on Horizon 5 as people move over to the next game, making the idea of rebuilding something nobody would use rather silly.

As for Forza Horizon 6, it’s really the same reason. Playground is currently only a couple of months away from launching its next game. Not to mention this will be the first time they’ve ever launched across three platforms all at once.

Development time is currently being spent on bug fixing, optimization, and polishing. I don’t think anybody with reasonable expectations would think they could rebuild the feature all over again and put it in Forza Horizon 6 in time for it to work across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5.

Don Joewon Song, a renowned Forza Horizon fan and content creator, was especially surprised by the removal of the component.

“I can't believe I'm saying this. Forza Horizon 6 will NOT feature In-Game Clubs. This will be the first Forza Horizon title to not have this feature!!”

Maybe this is a good thing

If you’re not a regular Social Club user, maybe its removal doesn’t sting much. Since Forza Horizon 4, clubs have felt stripped-down and a bit soulless. But for Millennials like me, the original Forza Horizon trilogy had clubs that actually mattered, with leaderboards, club rewards, and a real sense of belonging, not just a roster of random names.

In other words, the newer systems were awful by comparison. Maybe we can go back to the ways of old?

Banding with fellow players once led to noteworthy rewards, something missing from Forza Horizon 4 and 5. If you’d like to see this kind of teamwork-focused feature make a comeback in Forza Horizon 6, consider supporting the petition currently making the rounds on the Forza Horizon forums. Let’s come together and advocate for a club system built from the ground up!

How do you feel about clubs being dropped?

Losing Social Clubs does mean Forza Horizon 6 won't have one of the unique aspects previous games had. A place for players to come together without having to rely on external services like Discord.

Is the loss going to affect your enjoyment of the newest Forza Horizon game compared to its predecessors?

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

When it comes to the Xbox ship, the course it's been sailing has been what one might call a rocky one. After slowly bringing a few games from Xbox and Windows PC over to PlayStation, the floodgates have opened with the latest entry of Forza Horizon, Fable, Gears of War, and even Xbox’s beloved Halo franchise.

Some folks have been okay with the idea because it’s a genuinely good thing to give gamers more access to games. That’s why they’re gamers! But it’s caused a calamity of sorts in the minds of people like me who have asked the question, why buy an Xbox at all?

If all the games you’re making will be coming to other platforms, what other reason is there to pick your console over another when the competition has an extra perk or two in the form of games? I argued that Game Pass was still a reason to play Xbox, but with the advent of PC gaming hitting all-time highs (sans AI pricing out the market), players could flock to that ecosystem as well. Heck, that’s Windows is just another Microsoft platform

That’s why I think the recent shuffle at Xbox has caused quite a few people on social media to start giving advice to the new CEO, Asha Sharma. At the top of almost every single list I personally read, I see someone mentioning the need for exclusive games again. I even see people asking for the ports of Halo, Fable, Forza, and other games to be cancelled entirely.

Xbox CEO says, "The plan's the plan until it's not the plan."

I didn’t think any of this was possible, since it’s such a cataclysmic shift in thinking to go from being exclusive to non-exclusive; there was no way they’d reverse that decision, right? Well, Asha spoke to our Jez Corden recently and didn’t rule it out.

When asked what Asha Sharma thought about the idea of returning to exclusive games, she said, "Right now, I need to learn, candidly. About the 'why' of these decisions, what we were optimizing for, and what the data says about the Xbox strategy today. That's the honest answer. I'm looking at lifetime value, not just what happened in a previous moment, or in short-term efficiencies and things like that. The plan's the plan until it's not the plan."

Excuse me? Did she really say that? I know fans were speculating after her initial, “Hear you,” comment on X when someone asked her last Friday to return to making games exclusive, but everyone thought it was more fluff than actual talk.

This is the CEO of Xbox coming out and stating, word-for-word, that the idea of games coming back to being made for their hardware only is not out of the picture. Is that a glint of hope I see in the corner of my eye?

The Xbox ecosystem has been suffering financially over the last couple of years, and whether it’s been the hardware price increases, exclusives, Game Pass hikes, or something else, it’s clear that the status quo won’t do anymore. Asha Sharma may have been brought in without a massive amount of gaming experience, but when it comes to customer acquisition, it’s one of her greatest strengths.

A return to form for Xbox that included a world of exclusives consumers waited years for the platform to achieve would be terrific. However, I don’t think that will be happening overnight. Nor do I think that will start with games like the Halo remake or Forza Horizon, which make mega bucks on PlayStation.

First, Asha needs to learn the business, and that means going around to development studios as detailed in her latest interview. But it also means committing to the ‘return of Xbox’ and the hardware itself; the rest of the decisions will come with time.

"Xbox players have thousands of dollars invested, in money and time too — it's incredibly important for me to understand that and protect that," Sharma said. "I am committed to 'returning to Xbox,' and that starts with console, that starts with hardware. You will hear more about that soon; we'll have some announcements coming up. You will see us collectively investing here.” Asha explained.

Continuing, “We also know that there are a lot of players who aren't on console or our hardware, and I want to deliver great games to them too. I need to learn more about what that can look like, what decisions were made, what we need to do going forward, and I want a little bit of time and space to do that."

The commitment to hardware seems to have been in the works for some time, while the idea that exclusives could make a comeback seems rather fresh. Like, new CEO fresh. Only time will tell if Xbox and Microsoft see the return of a once set-in-stone console perk as good for their business.

What do you think about Xbox’s shifting stance on exclusives?

Xbox leadership’s “the plan is the plan until it’s not the plan” line leaves a lot of room for interpretation — and potential change. We want to hear how you’re reading it. Do you think Xbox should lean back into exclusives, stay multiplatform, or find a new middle ground?

Drop your thoughts below and join the conversation!

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As 2025 closes, the teams at Xbox put out a message looking back over the first-party games that launched throughout the year, with some small tidbits about what's to come in 2026, including with the next Gears of War.

Speaking with Xbox Wire, The Coalition Studio head Mike Crump reflected on the launch of Gears of War: Reloaded, while also providing some comments on the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day.

"This is our most ambitious game yet, entirely built from scratch in Unreal Engine 5 to feel like Gears and play like new," Crump says. "This is a return to our roots as Marcus & Dom face the Locust for the first time ever. It’s the best place to jump into the Gears universe, and we can’t wait to share more next year."

While Gears of War: Reloaded brought a second remaster of the original game to Xbox, PC, and PlayStation back in August, Gears of War: E-Day will be the first new mainline game in the franchise since 2019's Gears 5.

Outside of the game's reveal trailer, nothing else has been shown so far, but Gears of War: E-Day is slated to launch at some point in 2026. The titular event, Emergence Day, is the outbreak of war between humanity and the Locust Horde.

Personally, I'm most curious about how Crump envisions this as the best place for new players to jump in. Obviously, as a prequel, there'll be some new backstory elements, but is there something else in store?

2026 will be a big year for Xbox Game Studios

Gears of War: E-Day is far from the only big Xbox title slated to launch next year. Alongside the new Gears of War game, teams across Xbox Game Studios are working on an array of games pencilled in for 2026.

That includes Halo Studios' Halo: Campaign Evolved, an expanded remake of the original game that is also bringing the franchise to PlayStation for the first time.

Playground Games has a double-feature on deck, with the collection of three U.K. studios working on the Japan-bound open world racer Forza Horizon 6, as well as the long-anticipated reboot of Fable, a role-playing game series that's been dormant for years.

That's in addition to updates and DLC planned for multiple games that launched in 2025, including Obsidian Entertainment's The Outer Worlds 2.

2006 was a long time ago. I was 21 then, and like many other gamers of the time, got my first taste of the epic Gears of War. Since then, it has been remastered twice, first with Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, and most recently with Gears of War: Reloaded.

Of course, I was always going to play the latest version, not least because Xbox very generously gave those of us who owned Ultimate Edition a free copy. Cheers for that!

But from the word go, I felt different this time. I genuinely haven't touched any version of the first Gears of War game since the launch of Ultimate Edition, so it's been long enough to feel like I was coming in fresh again.

But I felt really rough. The camera movement was really messing with me, and I couldn't stick with it for more than a few minutes. I don't remember feeling this way in the past, so I guess maybe it's just that I've gotten older and my eyes are definitely weaker?

But fortunately, there's a setting to make everything much better. I completely missed it at first, because it's not where I expected it to be, but thanks to my colleague, Samuel Tolbert, who pointed it out, I'm now back having a grand old time blasting Locust.

Turning off camera shake completely changes the game

I'm not sure exactly what caused how this game made me feel. I'm hedging that it's a combination of age and weaker eyes, and the fact that I'm now playing Gears of War at a frame rate I've never experienced before. Way back in the day, 30 FPS was what we got. In 2025, playing Gears of War: Reloaded with an NVIDIA RTX 5090, well, let's say you're getting a lot higher frame rates than that.

It's smooth as hell, but I am wondering if the added speed is helping trigger the weird feelings I'm getting. But instead of lowering that, I turned off the camera shake, and it's instantly like playing a different game. I'm comfortable again, I can focus properly, and I can play the game for more than a few moments at a time.

I feel ridiculous having missed the setting, but equally, I was looking for it alongside the other display settings. It's actually under the game settings menu, so if it's bothering you, head on in there, check it to off, and I'm positive you'll feel the benefit.

I'd also have liked to see an FOV slider, at least on PC. As we've seen recently with Borderlands 4 on console, a tight FOV is another feature that can lead to nausea in some players. I get that Reloaded isn't a full remake, so it probably wasn't a priority to work in, but I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing it was there all the same.

But removing the camera shake does help a lot. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Locust to saw in half.

It's only been a few days, but Xbox Game Studios and The Coalition's Gears of War: Reloaded has already reached a new milestone of over 1 million players.

The official Gears of War account on X (Twitter) shared the news on Friday.

"Ending the console war, one grub at a time," the post says. "Thank you for 1 million players."

Gears of War: Reloaded launched on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (via Steam and Xbox PC), and (in a series first) PlayStation 5.

Now, naturally, there are some caveats, and this does not mean the game has sold a million copies. As an Xbox first-party title, it's included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Additionally, Xbox players who bought the digital version of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition before Reloaded was announced received a free copy of the new remaster.

It would be fascinating to get some kind of comprehensive breakdown of where all the players are from and how they're playing, but I'm well aware that type of information won't be shared.

I'd also be remiss not to note that Gears of War: Reloaded launched on the same day as the Xbox Series X|S versions of Helldivers 2, marking the first PlayStation-published game to arrive on Xbox.

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if most Xbox players are opting to check that out before returning to Gears, but I could be wrong.

If you haven't checked out this second remaster of the original Gears of War just yet, be sure to read my Gears of War: Reloaded review, where I wrote that "If you've never played Gears of War before, this is your opportunity to go through one of the most important third-person shooters in gaming history. If you have played it before, it's still the definitive edition of a landmark release that's easier to play across platforms, and it's probably worth a co-op run or two, but you'll be fine waiting as well."

Where will Gears of War go from here?

I'm extremely curious to see where Gears of War is headed, not just next year, but beyond. Gears of War: E-Day, which is slated to launch in 2026, is officially coming to Xbox and PC, but it seems extremely clear that it'll also come to PlayStation 5. This prequel is set during the titular Emergence Day, and once again stars Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago.

Whether or not the port happens simultaneously with the other versions is a different question. Still, despite my excitement for E-Day, I'm actually more curious to see what happens beyond that.

It seems only fitting that Gears of War 2 and Gears of War 3 should also get the "Reloaded" remaster treatment in order to continue expanding the series. Unlike the first Gears of War, these games have never even been brought to PC.

With that said, Gears of War: Reloaded benefited greatly from having Gears of War: Ultimate Edition as a base to work from and expand upon. To remaster Gears of War 2 and 3 will be more work, no matter what approach Xbox and The Coalition take.

Personally, I think it would make sense to see Gears of War 2: Reloaded in 2027, with Gears of War 3: Reloaded following in 2028 in order to completely bring the original trilogy to modern platforms, but this is just speculation.

Outside of the games, a Gears of War movie is also underway at Netflix, with director David Leitch (Bullet Train, The Fall Guy) working on the script with Jon Spaihts, who has co-written Prometheus as well as Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two.

One of many hot topics across the gaming industry right now is credits, or more specifically, making sure that the people who develop video games and contribute in capacity are properly credited for said work.

It's with that fact in mind that I was particularly eager to boot up Gears of War: Reloaded, to see how the upcoming Xbox Game Studios remaster would handle crediting the teams that have worked on it.

The reason I was particularly curious is that Gears of War: Reloaded is the second remaster of the original game, building on work previously done by The Coalition with 2015's Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.

When I first began playing Gears of War: Reloaded, I immediately checked to see how the game handles its credits. Navigating to the Extras tab, I'm pleasantly surprised by what I see: Instead of bundling the game's various layers into one lump sum, every layer of Gears of War: Reloaded credits is present and available to check.

It's a neat approach, and one that I'd like to see more video game remakes and remasters adopt in the future. It's not difficult to locate, it's not overly complicated, and each one is viewable by itself instead of requiring you to sit through the entire credits if you're just looking for one particular segment.

I also have to mention that upon finishing the campaign, the credits roll in order, beginning with Gears of War: Reloaded, then shifting to Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, before finally concluding with the original credits for Gears of War.

From Xbox Series X|S to Xbox One and then finally back to Xbox 360. No one is left behind from any generation, which I seriously appreciate.

Video game crediting isn't always done right, especially with remasters

It's unfortunate that this is even newsworthy, but the sad reality is that even now, many big companies don't credit appropriately, removing key chunks of the teams that worked to make a video game's launch possible.

That goes triple with remasters and remakes, where possible oversights and outright malicious excisions are all too common.

Earlier this year, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for Nintendo Switch removed the developers who worked on the original Wii game, simply noting that it was based on their work without any specific attribution.

This isn't even the first time it's been an issue just with Nintendo. In 2023, former Retro Studios staff criticized Nintendo over the crediting setup in Metroid Prime Remastered for Nintendo Switch.

Instead of having the credits for the staff that worked on the original game included in any way, the game chucks them all into one pile with a single line: "Based on the work of Metroid Prime (original Nintendo Gamecube and Wii versions) development staff."

Konami's Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner remaster, Mars, takes a similar unfortunate approach, with the original team relegated to “A tribute to the original production staff and contents.”

Hopefully Gears of War: Reloaded can serve as an example

Hopefully, we'll see more remastered games in the future, using the example set here with Gears of War: Reloaded. Prior work shouldn't be erased, whether it serves as inspiration for a remake or the foundation for a remaster.

In my review of Gears of War: Reloaded, I wrote that "Everything is building on the bones of a prior remaster, yet the result is a hair more visually impressive than I would've imagined before first playing it. Nostalgia plays tricks, and the overall improved image quality is more than I expected."

Gears of War: Reloaded is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (Steam and Xbox PC), and PlayStation 5. It's also available in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Ducking under enemy turrets, carefully throwing a grenade, and turning a Locust's head into pulp with a pull of my Gnasher shotgun: It's the same as it was years ago, but it still feels great.

Over the past several days, I've had the opportunity to play Gears of War: Reloaded, a second remaster (more on that below) of the original game that updates the visuals for modern gaming hardware, while still leaving the base experience as it has been for the past 19 years.

The result is fun, and it's worth experiencing if you somehow haven't ever checked out the pioneering effort that this game provided for not just Xbox, but third-person gaming as a whole.

With cross-platform play and cross-progression, it's an iconic game made to look better than ever while being more accessible than ever. That's reason enough to take a look.

This review was made possible thanks to a review code provided by Xbox Game Studios. The company did not see the contents of this review before publishing.

Gears of War: Reloaded review — What is it?

Gears of War: Reloaded is a third-person shooter developed by The Coalition (with support from Disbelief and Sumo Interactive) and published by Xbox Game Studios.

This is the second remaster of the original Gears of War developed by Epic Games, with the first remaster, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, being developed by The Coalition back in 2015, shortly after Microsoft acquired the Gears of War franchise.

Gears of War: Reloaded builds on Ultimate Edition, using it as a base while the visuals and framerate are further improved, alongside other technical aspects such as new accessibility options.

Gears of War: Reloaded is available for $40 (it's a free upgrade for Xbox players who bought the digital Ultimate Edition before it was announced) on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and (in a series first) on PlayStation 5, complete with cross-play and cross-progression support. It's also included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Gears of War is set on the world of Sera, where an alternate humanity is struggling after the events of Emergence Day, which saw the Locust Horde emerge from underground, killing millions upon millions.

In desperation, the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) used the Hammer of Dawn satellite weapon to burn human cities, destroying large chunks of the invaders alongside massive parts of humanity.

Now, the survivors are split into camps, with the Gears working as soldiers for what's left of the COG, while others stick to themselves as so-called Stranded.

Gears of War opens 14 years after Emergence Day, with Dominic "Dom" Santiago rescuing his friend Marcus Fenix from prison. Enlisting Marcus back as a Gear, the pair work together as part of Delta Squad to try and end the war once and for all.

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Gears of War: Reloaded review — Story and characters

Gears of War centers on the exploits of Delta Squad, one of the many teams of human soldiers fighting back against the Locust Horde.

The story is still the most straightforward in the series, with a simple plot: Delta Squad is assigned to deploy the Resonator, a device that can map out the underground Locust tunnels and allow the COG to deploy a weapon that can finally destroy the underground menace.

While Marcus and Dom initially seem to be stoic stereotypes, both have hidden depths, with some surprisingly introspective lines as they reflect on the toll this war has taken on everything.

Gears of War: Reloaded review — Gameplay and features

The original Gears of War (while not the first third-person shooter) was one of many titles that helped solidify the genre, implementing different gameplay mechanics that are still used in other titles today. All of that was true in 2015 with the Ultimate Edition, and it's true now with Reloaded.

The biggest focus? Cover. Wading out into a firefight is a great way to die, even on the lowest difficulty, which means I have to strategically weave between different walls and columns to avoid enemy fire, only popping out to briefly focus on an enemy or three.

You do have options for when a melee breaks out, with the iconic Lancer rifle's Chainsaw Bayonet (when revved up) easily cutting through Locusts that are unfortunate enough to round the corner at the same time as you.

Gears of War also introduced a unique mechanic called Active Reloads, which incentivize frequent reloading with careful timing. Upon reloading, a bar moves under the gun in the upper-right corner.

Reloading a second time at just the right moment will reload the gun faster than it would've been otherwise, getting you back in the action quicker and bestowing more damage for a limited time.

The campaign can be played in single-player or two-player co-op — which can take anywhere from 7-10 hours, depending on what difficulty you're playing on — and is spread across five acts, with different chapters introducing new enemies to take and weapons to use.

While I played through the campaign, I did not have the opportunity to try the remastered multiplayer. The servers are online, but there weren't enough players trying the multiplayer in the review period to get into a match.

No bots in multiplayer is a miss, especially since the team has done other backend work, with servers that run at 60Hz instead of 30Hz.

I'll update this section once I've had the chance to play the multiplayer for a bit after the game is available for everyone.

Gears of War: Reloaded review — Visuals and audio

Gears of War: Reloaded looks beautiful, with a number of improvements that have been layered on top of the previous remaster. That means that the vast majority of the character models, environments, and other textures generally look as they did with 2015's Ultimate Edition, but better.

The final output of a 4K HDR image and a smooth 60 FPS in campaign (with 120 FPS support in multiplayer) is combined with a number of improved effects, especially for lighting, explosions, post-processing, and different particles.

The result is gorgeous, with some particularly impressive skyboxes and indoor scenes, with the light pouring through shattered windows in the rare tranquil moments. The game's sound quality has also been updated, with support for 7.1 3D Spatial Audio.

Reloaded also takes advantage of the ultra-fast SSDs in consoles, with no loading screens in the campaign. The only exceptions are when I loaded a campaign save or when I died and reloaded a checkpoint, and these only took a couple of seconds at most.

Gears of War: Reloaded review — Accessibility and approachability

Gears of War: Reloaded has a handful of useful accessibility settings. One particular feature that I like is the ability to remap the COG and Locust team colors for markers and weapons, in multiplayer and in campaign.

While they are set to blue and red by default, nothing is stopping you from flipping them, setting the COG to orange and the Locust to green, and other combinations. There's even an option for changing the damage indicator color as well.

You can also change it so you merely have to hold a button instead of mashing it for specific actions, which is useful for anyone who suffers from repetitive stress injuries in their hands. Players can also rebind controller buttons away from the default setup.

The game also features screen narration, as well as text-to-speech and speech-to-text, making it easier to communicate without typing out messages in multiplayer.

There is still one area left for future improvements, as it's not possible to adjust the size of text for subtitles and your ammo count.

As for the game's general approachability, this is the best way to get started if you're a newcomer in Gears of War, since it's the very first game in the series. Just be sure not to skip the opening cutscene.

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Gears of War: Reloaded review — My final thoughts

✅You should buy this if...

• You've never played Gears of War.

If you're a newcomer (on PlayStation, Steam, or even Xbox) that has somehow never played the original Gears of War, then this is the definitive way to do it. It looks and runs better than ever across more devices than ever.

• You want to play Gears of War co-op across different platforms.

• While Gears of War 4 and Gears 5 have co-op across PC and Xbox, this is the first time that a Gears of War game has been available on PlayStation. Because of the smooth cross-play and cross-progression systems, it's perfect for jumping into co-op and playing together with a friend or family member, no matter your platform of choice.

❌You should not buy this if...

• You aren't interested in cover-based third-person shooters.

While Gears of War is the quintessential foundation on which cover-based third-person shooters are built, if you don't enjoy the genre, then this isn't going to be the game that changes your mind.

You're going to be ducking into waist-high walls through the entire game, and innovations from later in the series (like grabbing enemies from behind cover or assassinating foes that are unaware of you) aren't present here.

Gears of War: Reloaded is a fascinating thing, from both the perspective of game development and on the end-user side.

Everything is built on the bones of a prior remaster, yet the result is a hair more visually impressive than I would've imagined prior to first playing it. Nostalgia plays tricks, and the overall improved image quality is more than I expected.

Still, this is the same game as it was in 2015. The improvements that the sequels brought with new weapons and gameplay options aren't here, and there's no photo mode or other additions that would make a replay even easier to recommend.

Truly, the most significant difference Reloaded brings is its availability, as it's now a full multiplatform release that's here for the first time on PlayStation consoles while also finally giving PC players a decent version of the game.

If you've never played Gears of War before, this is your opportunity to go through one of the most important third-person shooters in gaming history. If you have played it before, it's still the definitive edition of a landmark release that's easier to play across platforms, and it's probably worth a co-op run or two, but you'll be fine waiting as well.

Gears of War: Reloaded is a good time, but more than anything, it's got me curious as to just what the eventual, inevitable remasters of Gears of War 2 and 3 will end up looking like.

Gears of War: Reloaded is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (Steam and Xbox PC), and PlayStation 5. It's also available in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

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The Gears of War movie in development at Netflix is underway, with the screenplay being written right now.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, husband and wife production duo David Leitch and Kelly McCormick briefly discussed their work on the upcoming adaptation of Xbox Game Studios' iconic third-person shooter franchise.

Leitch — who is directing the Gears of War movie — is currently working on the script alongside writer Jon Spaihts, who co-wrote the screenplays for Ridley Scott's Prometheus, as well Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part 1 and Dune Part 2.

"We’re writing right now with Jon Spaihts, and we’re really excited about it," says McCormick. "There’s a lot of energy from The Coalition and from Netflix, because The Coalition is releasing a game in 2026."

"We won’t hit that release date, but maybe something that feels relevant to the release of the new game. It’s an opportunity for David to do a war film, which he hasn’t gotten to do yet, and a bit of sci-fi in his own way with this beloved IP in his own way."

While we've known since 2023 that Spaihts was attached to the project, this is the first confirmation that work on the script is actually underway.

A big couple of years for Gears of War

After being dormant for a while, it's a big time for Gears of War at Xbox, with The Coalition launching Gears of War: Reloaded on Aug. 26, 2025. This remaster brings upgraded visuals to the original game, with 4K resolution, 120 FPS in multiplayer, and other updates.

Notably, in addition to launching on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Xbox Game Pass, it's also the first time a Gears of War game will have launched on PlayStation 5.

Looking ahead, the next new mainline game, Gears of War: E-Day, is slated to launch at some point in 2026. This game is set during the infamous Emergence Day event, where the Locust Horde erupted from underground to wreak havoc on humanity.

Importantly, 2026 will also mark the 20th anniversary of the Gears of War franchise.

In addition to the Gears of War movie, Netflix and The Coalition have also agreed to work on animated series, though there hasn't been any update on this front yet.

Fallout, Gears of War, and maybe even Wolfenstein are all being adapted

While the Gears of War movie might not be launching alongside E-Day in 2026, it's a big time for video game adaptations at Xbox all-around. A Minecraft Movie was a smash hit in theaters earlier this year, racing chicken jockeys past the $950 million mark at the global box office.

Season 2 of the Fallout TV series is set to premiere on December 17 for Prime Video, bringing new weekly episodes for one of the biggest Amazon shows yet.

The first season of the series crossed over 100 million views as of October 2024, and Season 2 looks bigger and bolder in practically every way. The teaser trailer promises plenty of action for the cast across the city of New Vegas, with some interesting secrets for the eagle-eyed.

Amazon is also reported to be interested in a TV adaptation of MachineGames' Wolfenstein reboots, with some of the same production team behind the Fallout TV series also reportedly on the project.

Wolfenstein tells the story of a world where the Nazis won World War 2, with a resistance group fighting back against the now-global regime.

It might be a while before we learn or see more for the Gears of War film, but as a huge fan of the games (as well as a lover of Dune and a resolute Prometheus defender) I'll be waiting eagerly for more information as it comes.

Gears of War: Reloaded is on Game Pass, but ...

One of Microsoft's largest and longest-running Xbox franchises is Gears of War — a brutal, bloody third-person shooter from Epic Games that emerged back in 2006, with Xbox Game Studios' The Coalition taking stewardship of the series over in 2015 and developing new entries ever since.

The original game introduces players to humanity's home world of Sera in the midst of a devastating war against a race of subterranean monsters known as the Locust Horde, putting you in the armored boots of soldiers Marcus Fenix and squadmate Dominic Santiago as they do everything they can to make the Locust fight for every inch of ground they take.

It was remastered once already for Xbox One and Windows PC in 2015 with the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. Now, a decade later and one year before Gears of War: E-Day is slated to drop, it's getting a fresh coat of paint once again with Gears of War: Reloaded.

When it releases on August 26, this new version of the game will bring enhanced 4K visuals and resolution, 120 FPS multiplayer, HDR, support for spatial audio, Xbox Play Anywhere, and more to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Steam, with the game also coming to PS5 at launch — a first for the franchise, and a continuation of Microsoft's recent multiplatform strategy with Xbox.

• DEAL: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1-month memberships are $13.49 at CDKeys, giving you access to Microsoft's service for an amazing discount

There's plenty of interest in this new remaster, and so naturally, many are wondering if they'll be able to play it through Microsoft's buffet-style gaming service Xbox Game Pass. The good news? Since Gears of War: Reloaded is a first-party Xbox game, it will indeed be available to Game Pass members on day one (with Xbox Cloud Gaming playability available to Ultimate subscribers).

The bad news, however, is that it will only be accessible if you have a $19.99/month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (Xbox, PC) membership or a $11.99/month one for PC Game Pass (PC only). People with basic Xbox Game Pass Core or the $14.99 console-specific Xbox Game Pass Standard tiers won't be able to play through Game Pass, as these tiers don't include day one game access.

Keep in mind, though, that you can get Ultimate subscription time for big discounts. For example, you can get a month of Ultimate for just $13.49 at CDKeys thanks to this excellent deal.

How else can you play Gears of War: Reloaded?

Gears of War: Reloaded being playable on Xbox Game Pass is great news for the millions and millions of players subscribed to the service, but not everyone wants to sign up. Luckily, you don't have to, as there are a few other ways you can play the remaster that don't involve Game Pass whatsoever.

Obviously, you have the option of buying it to own permanently on its Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5 platforms, with the game's standard MSRP clocking in at $39.99. Something worth noting is that you'll get the biggest bang for your buck by buying on Xbox if you can, as thanks to Xbox Play Anywhere, you'll be able to play on both Xbox and the Xbox on PC app with cross-progression.

If you happen to have owned a digital Xbox copy of 2015's Gears of War: Ultimate Edition before May 5, 2025, you won't have to worry about buying a copy at all, as Microsoft and The Coalition are giving free codes for the game out to these select individuals. These have been/are being delivered through Xbox messages, so be sure to keep an eye on your inbox.

Delta Squad returns with Gears of War: Reloaded, a remaster from Xbox Game Studios and The Coalition that takes players back through the original game on modern gaming hardware.

With this return of the original Gears of War (debuting for the first time on Steam!) comes higher minimum requirements, as the game takes advantage of more recent processors and graphics cards in order to look better than ever before.

Here are all the details on Gears of War: Reloaded's PC requirements that you need to know about.

Gears of War: Reloaded — PC requirements and specs

Below, you'll find the exact details for Gears of War: Reloaded's minimum and recommended PC system requirements.

These minimum requirements are extremely reasonable, and I'd genuinely be shocked if anyone playing PC games in the last five years or so doesn't have hardware well above these specifications.

The recommended requirements bump things up a bit, but are still extremely reasonable overall. Even the most recent GPU listed here (the RTX 2070) debuted almost seven years ago.

Gears of War: Reloaded — How to check your PC specs

So, maybe it's been a minute and you don't remember exactly what processor your system has, or you can't recall if you ever got around to adding some more RAM. Don't worry, it's easy to check. Just follow these steps:

1. Select the Windows taskbar.
2. Type dxdiag in the taskbar.
3. Select dxdiag to see your PC's specifications.
4. Select the System tab for your component details relating to memory (RAM), processors, and your Windows version.
5. Click on Display tab for graphics (GPU) details.

How to upgrade your PC for Gears of War: Reloaded

As mentioned above, the PC requirements for Gears of War: Reloaded are fairly reasonable, and it's extremely unlikely that your gaming PC won't be capable of running the game.

If you are somehow below the requirements (or you meet the minimum, but want to run Gears of War: Reloaded at higher settings), then there are some things you can do to improve your specs by following our various guides below:

• Recommendations: Best pre-built gaming PCs | Best gaming laptops
• Memory: How to upgrade and install RAM in a laptop | How to upgrade and install RAM in a desktop
• Storage: Best SSD for PC | How to upgrade laptop HDD to SSD | Tips to free up space on Windows 11
• CPU: Best CPU for your PC | How to install an Intel CPU in your PC
• GPU: Best graphics cards | How to install a new graphics card
• Overall tips: How to build your PC the right way

Does Gears of War: Reloaded run on gaming handhelds?

While dedicated gaming desktops remain the most popular way of playing PC games, there is a small but growing niche in the form of gaming handhelds. These devices allow players to sacrifice performance for portability, losing the ability to improve most of the internals in exchange for taking games on the go.

Gears of War: Reloaded is slated to launch on Aug. 26, 2025 across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud, Windows PC (Steam and Xbox PC), and PlayStation 5. Like all Xbox first-party games, it'll be available day one via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Players that buy the game digitally on Xbox can play it on Xbox consoles and PC via Xbox Play Anywhere.

Hey there, Windows Central community! I'm back with another quiz. This time, we're delving into a franchise that most Xbox players know and hold dear with Gears of War.

Ever since the launch of the original Gears of War by Epic Games on the Xbox 360, this franchise has been an Xbox staple, with numerous mainline games as the torch was passed to Xbox Game Studios developer The Coalition.

Set on the world of Sera, Gears of War revolves around humanity's struggles in combat against each other as well as the horrific Locust Horde and later, the Swarm. These games are beloved for their focus on brutal third-person shooting and surprisingly quiet, introspective storytelling.

With Gears of War: Reloaded set to launch on Aug. 26, 2025, and Gears of War: E-Day currently in development, it's the perfect time to test your knowledge of this Xbox series.

How many did you get correct? Would like additional Gears of War-themed quizzes in the future? Let me know!

Rev up your Lancers, because Gears of War: Reloaded is on the way. This upcoming remaster marks the second time the first Gears of War has been ported to newer gaming hardware, building on the work previously done with Gears of War: Ultimate Edition a decade ago.

Preorders are live for Gears of War: Reloaded, and I've got everything you need to know about preordering and jumping in at launch, whether you're a longtime series player or a curious newcomer.

Where to preorder Gears of War: Reloaded

Fortunately, recommending which version of Gears of War: Reloaded to buy is fairly simple, because there's only one. The lone standard edition of Gears of War: Reloaded is $40 USD, and is slated to launch across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (Steam and Xbox PC), and PlayStation 5 on Aug. 26, 2025.

As with all Xbox first-party games, Gears of War: Reloaded supports Xbox Play Anywhere, meaning if you buy the game for Xbox consoles or Xbox PC, you'll get a copy that works on the other platform as well at no extra cost.

It's worth noting that for right now, Gears of War: Reloaded is digital-only on Xbox and PC. There is a physical version available, but it's only for PlayStation 5.

Gears of War: Reloaded free upgrade

If you purchased Gears of War: Ultimate Edition digitally before Gears of War: Reloaded was announced on May 5, 2025, you'll be receiving a free upgrade, giving you a copy of Gears of War: Reloaded at no extra cost.

To check and make sure you get your upgrade, go to your Xbox messages section by logging into your Xbox console or Xbox PC app on your computer.

Gears of War: Reloaded available on Xbox Game Pass

Just like other Xbox first-party games, Gears of War: Reloaded is launching day one into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. It'll also be playable through Xbox Cloud for anyone subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Xbox Cloud Gaming is currently available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, as well as Meta Quest headsets, Samsung and LG Smart TVs, and Windows PC browsers via Xbox.com/play.

Gears of War: Reloaded — Preorder bonuses

While there aren't any special editions of Gears of War: Reloaded, there is a bonus for anyone who preorders. Any players who preorder a copy of the game will get two new multiplayer skins with Adam Fenix and Anya Stroud.

These characters are entirely new for the original Gears of War, expanding the roster of playable multiplayer skins.

Anya appears in Gears of War and Gears of War 2, but was not a playable character in multiplayer or campaign until Gears of War 3, the game where Adam Fenix made his debut. Adam isn't playable in the campaign, but is available in Gears of War 3's multiplayer for players who bought the special edition of the game or a limited edition Xbox 360.

Players who want to stay mobile when playing their games can rejoice, as Gears of War: Reloaded is Steam Deck Verified (thanks, GamingOnLinux).

Now, it's worth noting that the Steam Deck Verified label has been thrown around a bit loosely in recent months, with some games being verified despite not running well, with major performance issues even if settings are turned down.

I wouldn't be too worried about performance for Gears of War: Reloaded however, as The Coalition is one of the most efficient studios around when it comes to optimizing games around different hardware, and one of the entire points of having Gears of War: Reloaded is to bring the game natively to Steam for the first time.

I'm also curious to see exactly how well Gears of War: Reloaded performs on Valve's handheld device.

While I was in L.A. for Summer Game Fest 2025, I stopped by Xbox and I got to play Gears of War: Reloaded on the upcoming Xbox Ally X. This device has significantly more power than the Steam Deck (and is certain to command a more significant price point) but it easily managed to average 75 FPS or higher while running at High settings.

Gears of War: Reloaded is slated to launch on Aug. 26, 2025 across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud, Windows PC (Steam and Xbox PC), and PlayStation 5. Like all Xbox first-party games, it'll be available day one in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Following its big appearance at the recent Xbox Games Showcase, Gears of War Reloaded is bringing the original game in the series back to life once again.

It was first remastered a decade ago with the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, but this newest remaster will up the ante once again. Expect more technical enhancements to bring it up to scratch with a 2025 title.

The release is currently slated for August 26 on Xbox, PC, cloud, and for the first time, PS5. Ahead of this, two beta weekends are planned on all platforms to showcase the multiplayer mode.

Sounds interesting? Here's how you get in.

When are the Gears of War Reloaded beta weekends?

Whether you're on Xbox, PC, or PS5, the beta weekends are the same for all. Additionally, it will also be live on Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now on all supported devices.

Here's when you can play:

• Weekend one: June 13 3 p.m. ET - June 15 3 p.m ET.
• Weekend two: June 20 3 p.m. ET - June 23 midnight ET (9 p.m. PDT).

How to play the Gears of War Reloaded beta

There are three different ways you can get into the beta.

The first is by preordering a copy of Gears of War Reloaded on any of its supported platforms. The second is by being an active subscriber to either PC Game Pass or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

The final method is already owning a copy of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. Owners get a free copy of Gears of War Reloaded, and codes for those have already started going out. I got mine a few days ago.

The only caveat is that to play the beta this way, you need to have purchased Gears of War: Ultimate Edition prior to May 5 of this year.

It's also worth pointing out that it appears only digital preorders of Gears of War Reloaded seem to count for access to the multiplayer beta. On Xbox, there are currently no preorders for a physical edition, but there is one for PS5. But this doesn't seem to include access to the beta.

At the time of writing, the Xbox install for the beta is already live. Steam customers may get a code to redeem the install, since it doesn't appear to be live on the store at this time.

For more check out my colleague, Samuel Tolbert's, Gears of War Reloaded hands-on session on the Xbox Ally X from the Xbox Showcase.

Players are headed back to where it all began with Gears of War: Reloaded.

Since the first game launched back in 2006, Gears of War has been one of the biggest Xbox franchises around, with epic campaigns that can be played solo or in co-op alongside brutal multiplayer unlike anything else available.

With Gears of War: Reloaded, that original experience is being brought to modern gaming hardware, letting players experience the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad all over again or for the very first time.

Here is everything you need to know about Gears of War: Reloaded.

When is the release date for Gears of War: Reloaded?

Developed by Epic Games using the studio's Unreal Engine 3 technology, Gears of War launched exclusively on Xbox 360 in November 2006. The game was an instant hit, receiving rave reviews and selling over a million copies in its first two weeks.

The game was ported to PC as part of the ill-fated Games for Windows Live program a year later in November 2007. This port included some extra chapters, greatly extending the length of the game's fifth act.

Microsoft acquired the rights to the Gears of War franchise from Epic Games in 2014, building a first-party studio called The Coalition to lead the series moving forward. In August 2015, The Coalition released Gears of War: Ultimate Edition for Xbox One consoles, with a PC port exclusive to the Microsoft Store following on March 1, 2016.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition featured new visuals, rebuilt cutscenes, improved textures, and effects all rendered at 1080p, as well as 60 FPS support on Xbox One in multiplayer. Ultimate Edition also included the chapters that were included in the prior PC version.

Gears of War: Reloaded is now scheduled to arrive on Aug. 26, 2025, marking the second time this game has been remastered.

What is Gears of War: Reloaded?

The original Gears of War was a massive game, changing the way players understand third-person games and shooting, spawning waves of imitators and strongly influencing the cover-based gameplay design of other titles like BioWare's science-fiction role-playing series Mass Effect.

Gears of War features a brutal setting where humanity lives on a planet called Sera. After years of warring against each other over resources, humanity is then invaded from below, with a subterranean race known as the Locust Horde decimating humanity in an event known as Emergence Day, or E-Day.

Developed by The Coalition with assistance from Sumo Interactive and Disbelief, Gears of War: Reloaded features a number of visual and technical improvements over the prior remaster, 2015's Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.

Gears of War: Reloaded features 4K resolution, HDR, VRR, and 60 FPS in campaign, with 120 FPS multiplayer support. The game also features zero loading screens in campaign, with improved textures, particle effects, and more.

What platforms is Gears of War: Reloaded coming to?

The original Gears of War launched on Xbox 360 before being ported to Windows PC. Similarly, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition launched on Xbox One before getting a PC port.

Eschewing this kind of staggered rollout, Gears of War: Reloaded is launching across Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5 all at once. Notably, this is the first time a Gears of War game has ever launched on a PlayStation console.

PC players can choose to play Gears of War: Reloaded on Steam or via the Xbox PC app.

What price is Gears of War: Reloaded?

Gears of War: Reloaded is slated to launch with a $40 price tag on all platforms, meaning it won't be a "full price" game. While Microsoft announced in 2025 that some Xbox games will eventually launch at $80, the company is still using a range of different prices for different games, something sometimes referred to as "variable pricing."

It's important to note that Xbox players that purchased a digital copy of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition prior to May 5 (which is when the game was announced) will get a free upgrade, with a code for Gears of War: Reloaded sent to their Xbox accounts shortly before launch.

As an Xbox first-party game, Gears of War: Reloaded is also included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass at launch. It'll also be available via Xbox Cloud Gaming for anyone subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Does Gears of War: Reloaded have crossplay?

Crossplay has become a huge factor in multiplayer games, letting players engage in co-op or compete regardless of where they like to play.

In addition to local two-player split-screen, Gears of War: Reloaded supports full crossplay, meaning you can play together regardless of if you're on Xbox, PlayStation, or PC.

Players on non-Xbox platforms are not required to use a Microsoft account, but signing in with one grants full cross-progression, meaning your campaign and multiplayer progress can be carried with you across platforms.

The long-gestating Gears of War movie at Netflix is still happening, and now, the film is being helmed by David Leitch.

The Hollywood Reporter shared the news on Thursday, confirming that in addition to directing, David Leitch and his wife and producing partner Kelly McCormick would be producing the film. Also producing is The Coalition, the Xbox studio that leads development on Gears of War games.

Leitch is known for his work directing a number of action-heavy films, including 2017's Atomic Blonde, 2022's Bullet Train, and 2024's The Fall Guy.

Netflix and The Coalition first announced that the two companies were working on an adaptation of the iconic Xbox series back in November 2022. At the time, Netflix noted that the plan was for a live-action film to happen first, followed by an animated series.

Former Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski told the Xbox Expansion Pass podcast that while there were initial plans for a Gears of War movie years ago, they fell through as the film likely would've been rated PG-13.

This also comes as The Coalition is working on more than one Gears of War game. Gears of War: Reloaded, a remaster of the original 2006 game, is slated to launch in August 2025 across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and (in a series first) PlayStation 5.

Further out is Gears of War: E-Day, the next mainline game in the franchise and a prequel that is set during the titular "Emergence Day" event that sees large swathes of humanity killed by the brutal Locust horde.

Outside of Gears of War, adaptations of Xbox properties into film and TV are continuing to grow. A Minecraft Movie has crossed $900 million at the box office, while the second season of Amazon MGM Studios' acclaimed Fallout TV series is slated to premiere in December.

Out of the blue, Microsoft has decided to keep the avalanche of Xbox games rolling, revealing Gears of War: Reloaded on Monday via Xbox Wire.

This new remaster of Gears of War features new visual improvements, as well as enhanced framerates in multiplayer, growing the list of Xbox Series X|S games with 120 FPS support. Gears of War: Reloaded is being developed by The Coalition, with support from Sumo Interactive and Disbelief.

Most notable of all? It's coming to PlayStation alongside Xbox and PC, continuing Microsoft's push into multiplatform game launches, such as Playground Games' Forza Horizon 5, which launched on PlayStation 5 back in April.

Here are all the new features coming with Gears of War: Reloaded.

• 4K resolution
• 60 FPS in Campaign
• 120 FPS in Multiplayer
• High Dynamic Range (HDR)
• Dolby Vision & 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos
• 7.1.4 3D Spatial Audio
• Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
• 4K assets and remastered textures
• Enhanced post-processing visual effects
• Improved shadows and reflections
• Super resolution with improved anti-aliasing
• Zero loading screens during Campaign

Gears of War: Reloaded is slated to launch at $40 USD on August 26, 2025, at which point it'll be available across Xbox Series X|S (as well as Xbox Cloud Gaming), Windows PC (via the Xbox app and Steam), and PlayStation 5.

Naturally, the game supports full cross-play, so you'll be able to team up with a friend in Delta Squad no matter which platform you're playing on. There's also cross-progression, though this will require signing in on Steam or PlayStation with a Microsoft account.

As an Xbox first-party game, it'll also be included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Any Xbox players that own Gears of War: Ultimate Edition digitally will receive a free upgrade.

Looking ahead, The Coalition is continuing to work on Gears of War: E-Day, the next mainline game in the Gears of War franchise.

Xbox Game Studios and The Coalition's upcoming shooter Gears of War: E-Day is getting some support from Polish developer People Can Fly, with the latter sharing details on the development partnership on Monday.

“Returning to collaborate on the next chapter of this legendary saga is both a privilege and an exciting opportunity to build upon the intense, visceral action and rich storytelling that fans have come to love. We are deeply grateful for our partners’ trust and support on this journey," says People Can Fly CEO Sebastian Wojciechowski.

In addition to providing assistance to Epic Games on the original Gears of War trilogy, People Can Fly was the lead developer on 2013's Gears of War Judgment, a story focused on supporting character Damon Baird. After separating from Epic Games, People Can Fly developed Outriders, a third-person co-op game published by Square Enix.

“Gears of War: E-Day is not just our next major game; it’s a return to what makes Gears of War games special and authentic. We’re pleased to be partnering with the talented folks at People Can Fly who have been a part of our franchise’s legacy for so long," said Mike Crump, studio head of The Coalition.

First revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase 2024, Gears of War: E-Day is the next mainline title in the iconic Xbox franchise, framed as a prequel during Emergence Day, the kickoff of the Human-Locust war. Gears of War: E-Day again stars Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago, the main protagonists of the first three games.

Returning to the roots of the franchise

This partnership is thematically fitting, since just as Gears of War: E-Day is explicitly meant to evoke the themes and mood of the original trilogy (especially the first game) so too was People Can Fly lending a hand when the series began.

Hopefully we'll be learning more about Gears of War: E-Day soon. We know it's being developed using Unreal Engine 5 and that The Coalition felt compelled to return to this period of time in the franchise, but there's a lot of other questions that need to be answered.

In addition to helping out with Gears of War: E-Day, People Can Fly is also working on a game of its own with Xbox Game Studios. Codenamed Project Maverick, the project is based on an IP owned by Microsoft with a budget at the time of announcement of between $30-$50 million. Little else is known at this time, but it wouldn't shock me if this is a Gears of War spinoff title of some kind.

Gears of War: E-Day does not have a release date at this time. Whenever it does launch, it will presumably be available on Xbox Series X|S consoles and Windows PC. As an Xbox first-party game, it'll also be available day one in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

One of the most iconic Xbox franchises is headed back to its start. 

Gears of War has a long history on Xbox, with the original trilogy and a spinoff being developed for the Xbox 360 by Epic Games and People Can Fly, respectively. In 2014, Microsoft acquired the rights to the Gears of War franchise from Epic Games, with first-party studio The Coalition taking up the mantle of the series, developing a new slate of games in the franchise for the Xbox One generation. 

After launching Gears 5 DLC and an Xbox Series X|S upgrade in 2020, The Coalition opted to go quiet, focusing on learning and understanding Unreal Engine 5 instead of trying to quickly get a game out. Now, after years investing in a new tech pipeline, The Coalition's next game is known. Revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase 2024, the next game in the series is called Gears of War: E-Day. I've gathered up everything you need to know about it.

What is Gears of War: E-Day?

After Microsoft acquired Gears of War in 2014, The Coalition (formerly known as Black Tusk Studios) got to work on the series, remastering the original Xbox 360 title for Xbox One and Windows PC with Gears of War: Ultimate Edition in 2015. The following year, the studio shipped Gears of War 4, which continued the story from 2011's Gears of War 3 with a new generation of protagonists. 

In 2019, The Coalition launched Gears 5, a game that introduced open world elements to the narrative structure. 2020 saw the launch of Gears 5: Hivebusters, a DLC focused on a different group of characters, as well as an Xbox Series X|S upgrade for Gears 5. The team also assisted Splash Damage to launch Gears Tactics, an XCOM-esque prequel adventure. 

Following the completion of that packed slate, The Coalition took some time off, focusing on studying Unreal Engine 5 and learning exactly what the engine was capable of. During this time, the studio also began to work as a support team, providing assistance to other Xbox first-party studios, particularly other teams working in Unreal Engine 5 such as Undead Labs with State of Decay 3 and The Initiative with Perfect Dark.

Finally, during Xbox Games Showcase 2024, the team revealed its next project, which would be a new Gears of War game. Unexpectedly, it was not Gears 6, but instead, Gears of War: E-Day. This game is taking full advantage of Unreal Engine 5, pushing the level of what's possible in graphical fidelity. 

“Our ambition is to, once again, set a new standard in technical excellence,” says The Coalition's studio technical director Kate Rayner, via Xbox Wire. “We have fully modernized Gears from the ground up, infusing the DNA of Gears with the full capabilities of modern gaming technology. Every character, environment, and animation in ‘Gears of War: E-Day‘ has been completely rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, allowing us to portray the Gears universe with unprecedented detail and fidelity.” 

Is Gears of War: E-Day a prequel?

The two previous games developed by The Coalition, Gears of War 4 and Gears 5, began a new story for the franchise, taking place decades after Gears of War 3 while introducing characters like JD Fenix and Kait Diaz. The most recent game in the series, Gears Tactics, was a strategy-themed spinoff starring Kait's dad with development led by Splash Damage, though The Coalition was still involved. 

Despite being a prequel story and going back to the earliest point in the franchise yet — bar a brief playable flashback of the Pendulum Wars in Gears of War 4 — Gears of War: E-Day is not a spinoff. 

“It’s going to feel like a new Gears game, because that’s what it is,” creative director Matt Searcy says. “It’s us revisiting the tone and the feeling of what makes Gears great, but we’re tapping into new techniques, new processes, and new technology that’s going to make the gameplay feel better than ever. It’s going to be awesome, a game that feels both truly new, and authentically Gears.”  

"E-Day is an origin story," Nicole Fawcette says, speaking in an interview with Windows Central, "it's the origin story of the bond that defines the franchise, which is Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago's friendship. When you first meet them, they're not the same Marcus and Dom you know. In Gears 1, they've already spent 14 years fighting the Locust." 

Part of this approach is making the iconic Locust enemies more horrific. As this is humanity's first contact with the violent subterranean species, they aren't familiar with how they fight or operate, meaning this will be a dark and gritty game.

“We transformed the drone into something fearsome, physically intimidating, and utterly brutal,” says art director Aryan Hanbeck. “Getting the drone right was crucial; everything else with the Locust we’re scaling up from there.” 

What platforms is Gears of War: E-Day coming to?

Gears of War: E-Day is a first-party Xbox game, and while platforms haven't technically been announced, it's extremely safe to assume that it'll be available across Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, with the latter including the Xbox PC app and Steam.

Is Gears of War: E-Day coming to Xbox Game Pass?

As an Xbox first-party game, Gears of War: E-Day will be included day one in Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft has doubled down on this approach, and continues to bring all first-party games from its studios across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda, and Xbox Game Studios to Xbox Game Pass on day one. 

All the prior Gears of War games are also available on Xbox Game Pass. Gears of War, 2, and 3, are playable on Xbox Series X|S consoles through backward compatibility, while Gears of War 4, Gears 5, and Gears Tactics are available on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC. 

When is Gears of War: E-Day's release date?

Right now, Gears of War: E-Day does not have a release date or expected release year. 

While The Coalition shipped multiple games in a span of just a few years last generation, game development is taking longer and longer for big titles this generation. The team also hasn't been working on Gears of War: E-Day since it shipped Hivebusters. Instead, as mentioned above, the studio took some time to focus on learning Unreal Engine 5, supporting other Xbox teams, and studying what would really be needed for the next Gears of War game. 

Personally, I'd say a safe expectation for Gears of War: E-Day would be for it to arrive at some point in 2026. 

What you need to know

• The last mainline Gears of War game with development led by The Coalition was Gears 5, which launched in 2019 on Xbox One and Windows PC. 
• The Coalition also released a free Xbox Series X|S enhancement for the game in 2020, alongside the paid Hivebusters DLC. 
• After years of silence, The Coalition emerged during the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 to reveal Gears of War: E-Day, a prequel adventure featuring a much younger Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago.

We're going back to the very beginning.

The Coalition closed out the Xbox Games Showcase 2024, revealing a trailer for the next Gears of War game. Despite speculation, it's not Gears 6. Instead, The Coalition is working on Gears of War: E-Day, a prequel focused on the most infamous event in all of Gears of War's bloody history. You can check out the announcement trailer below:

This trailer was built entirely in-engine, with The Coalition taking full advantage of Unreal Engine 5 to push what's visually possible. There's no release date or release window right now, or even any mention of platforms, but as it's an Xbox first-party game, we can of course expect Gears of War: E-Day to launch day one on Xbox Game Pass.

Gears of War: E-Day is a prequel, but the story will continue further

Sharing more on Xbox Wire, The Coalition confirms that this isn't some small spin-off, it's the next mainline game. Even so, that doesn't mean the team is moving away from the current-day Gears story, which was most recently touched on with the 2019 title Gears 5.

“We realized that a lot of the words we use to describe the franchise were what our fans also use, phrases like brotherhood, brutality, pathos, awe” says creative director Matt Searcy. “Why E-Day?  That’s the moment it all comes together. It’s the heart of the Gears universe. Everything that happens is shaped by this day.”  

“We’re super proud about Gears 4 and Gears 5 and the stories that were told,” says brand director Fawcette. “We’re not retreating from that storyline in any way. But in [this] moment, we had an opportunity to write our next step, and this one just felt too good to miss.”  

Analysis: There's something in my eye

There's a handful of franchises you grow up with, games that mean something truly special to you because of the time and manner in which you experienced them. Gears of War is one such franchise for me. This trailer was absolutely stellar, and I'm thrilled The Coalition is going to be exploring Emergence Day in the next mainline Gears of War title.

I'm also happy the team isn't abandoning the story that is waiting past Gears 5. I loved that game, and I want to see where Kait's narrative is leading her. But I'm more than happy that we are going to be taking a detour along the way. 

What you need to know

• Liam McIntyre, the voice actor for JD Fenix from the Gears of War series, has posted a comment on Twitter/X implying the developers of the flagship Xbox franchise, could be announcing a new game in June 2024.
• The last mainline in the Gears of Wars series was Gears 5 released in 2019 and there hasn't been a new game released since 2020's Gears Tactics spin-off.
• Gears of War is a world-renowned series that revolutionized the third-person shooter genre and is one of the Xbox platform's flagship video game franchises.

On April 24, 2024, Liam McIntyre, a voice actor who played the role JD Fenix from the Gears of War series, posted a comment on Twitter/X indicating we could be hearing a new installment announced soon. 

According to the post (via @IdleSloth84_) Liam was replying to a fan asking whether JD Fenix is confirmed alive or dead in the franchise's ongoing canon narrative and he replied:

This statement could be hinting that Microsoft and The Coalition may be announcing a new title in the Gears of War franchise later this year in June, most likely at the Summer Game Fest event on June 7, 2024, or the Xbox June Showcase event in June.

Analysis: What could the new Gears of War title be?

It has been a long time since the world-famous Gears of War franchised the gaming industry with its presence as the last mainline title, Gears 5, was released in 2019 and the last game overall, Gears Tactics, was released in 2020. Now that four to five years have passed, I'd say it's high time that one of the cornerstones of the Xbox's gaming library made a comeback.

As for what this new title could be, it's anybody's guess at this point. It could be Gears 6, a sequel to Gears Tactics, or a brand-new spin-off focusing on the Hivebusters group seen in Gear 5's DLC, Gears 5: Hivebusters. Perhaps they could be announcing multiple new titles at once and make all the above predictions happen? 

Either way, we at Windows Central will be keeping a close eye in June to see if this comment turns out to be true and The Coalition reveals the next installment of the Gears of War series.

What you need to know

• Cliff Bleszinski, former designer on the Gears of War games, made a guest appearance on the Xbox Expansion Pass podcast.
• Bleszinski discussed a wide range of topics, including his thoughts on being a CEO at Boss Key Productions before the studio closed, Gears of War as a series, and his comic, Scrapper. 
• Bleszinski also touched on some of the reasons the original plans for the Gears of War movie never panned out, noting some film executives wanted the film to be PG-13 and avoid the series' classic gore. 

Ever wondered why Gears of War wasn't adapted into a movie years ago? If it had, it might've been rated PG-13.

That's per game designer Cliff Bleszinski, who is widely known for his work on a number of games, but primarily remembered by many for his work on the first three Gears of War games developed by Epic Games. 

Speaking on the Xbox Expansion Pass with host Luke Lohr, Bleszinski talked through a number of topics including some of his life's work, his role as CEO at now-defunct Boss Key Productions, and reasons why the original plans for the Gears of War movie never got off the ground.

New Line Cinema first purchased the rights to develop a Gears of War movie in 2007. Bleszinski points to the number of studio names attached at the time as being a problem and keeping pre-production bogged down, adding that "If it was just Legendary, we could've made it happen." 

"People wanted to see the chainsaw, they wanted to see Locusts getting cut in half, and that would make it rated R," he says. "[Executives] wanted to make a PG-13 version of it, and I'm like 'No, screw you guys.'"

Bleszinski goes on to talk about the success of The Last of Us HBO series, the Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Halo The Series as examples of how Hollywood has gotten better at adapting video game properties into movies and TV shows over time. You can watch the full episode of the Xbox Expansion Pass below: 

A Gears of War movie is still in the cards, alongside other Xbox properties

In 2022, Netflix confirmed that it would be working on a Gears of War movie and animated series in partnership with The Coalition. Neither the movie or series has a release window at the moment, and few details are known. 

Outside of Gears of War, there's other Xbox properties that have made the leap from games to TV shows, with the second season of Halo The Series set to premiere on Feb. 8, 2024 on Paramount+. Meanwhile, a Fallout show is coming to Amazon Prime Video on April 12. There's also a Minecraft movie inbound, with an expected release window of 2025.

Analysis: Dodged a bullet (and chainsaw)

Obviously there's myriad factors that go into making movies or TV shows, but I'm definitely glad we didn't get a watered-down version of Gears of War on the silver screen, even if that means we're still waiting to see it done right. 

Netflix is not without flaws, but the platform has demonstrated time and time against its not averse to extremely mature content (if you haven't watched Blue Eye Samurai yet, correct that mistake right now), so I sincerely doubt we need to worry about a lack of blood and gore whenever the movie and animated series arrive. 

As an aside, I highly recommend checking out the full episode of Xbox Expansion Pass, as Bleszinski gives a huge number of anecdotes from across his life. Luke always does a great job with his interviews, and his channel is definitely worth subscribing to. 

When I bought my Xbox One X, it came with the entire Gears of War series in the box, including the remastered Gears of War Ultimate Edition. Since then, I've completed nearly 140 games... And not one of those titles has been any of the Gears of War games I got with my console. I know, it's basically heresy, but I've rectified my mistake and will pay penance for my crimes (by playing more games, of course).

Not long ago, I finally sat down and completed the first Gears of War game and... I loved it! Why didn't anyone tell me this game was good??? Oh yeah, a lot of people did. Anywho, I've rolled the credits on my first Gears of War game, and my first third-person cover shooter, and I can already tell I'm going to have a blast playing through the rest of the franchise over the next couple of years. Hopefully, by the time I'm finished, Gears 6 will be out in the wild (fingers crossed).

Baby's first third-person cover shooter

I have a long list of completed games on my phone, but there's a distinct lack of third-person shooters on it. Gears of War is my first proper foray into this oft-forgotten genre (which has somewhat fallen out of popularity in recent years), and it took me a couple of hours before my brain acclimated to the controls. I kept pressing the buttons I was used to in other shooters, only to find they did very different things in Gears of War. I admit, there were more than a few deaths at the very beginning while I adapted.

Once it clicked for me, though, I really began appreciating this style of gameplay. Coordinating with a squad, taking advantage of every available spot of cover you can to advance, retreat, and hold your ground, and cycling through the weapons available to you to best suit your current situation, itched my brain in the best possible way after the intro passed. By the end of the game, I had fallen in love with the Boltok revolver, Longshot rifle, and Gnasher shotgun.

In Gears of War, you cannot take thirty shots to the face and keep going like you can in many first-person shooter campaigns; guns are brutally effective in this universe, and you'll need to rely both on your skills and the cover available to you to survive. I witnessed Marcus Fenix, the infamous protagonist of the Gears of War franchise, get blown in half by a Gnasher a few too many times (but I got my revenge ten times over with my own Gnasher, which shredded Locusts like they were made of paper).

That's truly what made this combat click for me — the visceral reaction enemies have to explosions and gunfire. In many ways, it reminded me of DOOM, but slightly more toned down; Marcus Fenix is hardly ripping Locusts apart with his bare hands, but he can certainly use a chainsaw to get the job done.

When the final boss fell, I was rolling, bobbing and weaving, and running like the elite and highly-trained soldier Fenix really is. I'm interested to see how this gameplay evolves over the course of the next four games (although I understand The Coalition actually did introduce some modern amenities when remastering the original Gears of War) since series like this tend to continually go bigger and bigger. Even more than that, though, I want to witness how events unfold in this nightmare world.

A brutal world that has already won me over

The first Gears of War is set 14 years after "Emergence Day" on the planet Sera, where a mysterious race known as the Locusts have declared war on humanity and have devastated the planet's population. The Coalition of Ordered Governments, or COG, has united the remnants of humanity on Sera and taken the lead in this brutal war, deploying its soldiers, known as Gears, to fight back against the Locusts.

You play as Marcus Fenix, an imprisoned ex-Gear who had fought against the Locusts in the past. You're freed from prison to embark on a new mission: to recover valuable tech that could help turn the tide in this never-ending conflict. Fenix is rough and no-nonsense, a pretty standard personality for these kinds of games, but I nonetheless really enjoyed Fenix's character for his ability to remain calm under pressure and to complete the job despite how COG has burned him in the past.

You'll slowly learn more about Fenix and the rest of his squad, new and old, as the game progresses. The entire premise of humanity warring against a seemingly unstoppable force caught my attention early on, but wandering through the remnants of half-destroyed cities and witnessing the unbelievable carnage this war has already caused further solidified my interest in the Gears of War franchise.

The writing isn't anything terribly special, at least in the first entry, but it still paints a believable picture of humanity brought to its knees and the brave individuals doing all they can to stand it back up. For 14 years, the war has felt hopeless, but you start your journey just as humanity receives a glimmer of hope that this war may one day have an end. The existence of four more mainline games after this one strongly suggests the war is not over, so there's not necessarily a happy ending... It's just something that may be a step toward that happy ending.

With the crisp visuals of the remastered game and the incredibly impressive art design that makes the Gears of War franchise instantly recognizable, I was dragged into this world, making the stakes feel higher as I blasted my way through crumbling ruins and decrepit facilities. An endless stream of violence, uncovered secrets, new friends and lost companions, and the fight for a better tomorrow all make Gears of War Ultimate Edition a fantastic way to spend the roughly ~9 hours it takes to finish the game.

More to play, but I'm already sold on Gears 6

I admit it'll be a while before I hit the next Gears of War game. It'll be even longer before I finish the entire series. After all, my backlog is more intimidating than the entire Locust army, and I need to keep things interesting and continually switch genres and franchises. I absolutely am going to finish every Gears of War game, though — I can tell you that much. I enjoyed my time with Gears of War Ultimate Edition more than I honestly expected.

Before playing this game, I frankly didn't care about the possibility of Gears 6 at all. Why would I? I had no attachment to the series, and it's difficult to get into a new game that's part of a very old franchise. Now, though, I know I'll be waiting with bated breath for Xbox Game Studios and The Coalition to reveal the first trailers for Gears 6. In the meantime, I guess I'll need to slowly play through the rest of the Gears of War games, including Gears of War 2, 3, and 4, Gears 5, and Gears Tactics. Erm, do I also need to go play Gears of War: Judgement?

If you've been holding off on entering the Gears of War universe, I strongly recommend it. It's simple, too — Gears of War Ultimate Edition is just $19.99 at Microsoft on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. It's also available through Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming, making it even easier to experience. As the game that introduced me to a brand-new universe and video game genre, I think Gears of War still counts among the best Xbox games you can play.

Now I'm off to play Brütal Legend.

What you need to know

• Today is the 16th anniversary of Gears of War.
• To celebrate the occasion, Netflix has announced the company has partnered with The Coalition to adapt the game series into a live-action feature film. 
• Additionally, an adult animated series is in the works.

Marcus Fenix and friends are officially hitting the big screen! Well, I guess technically any screen that's compatible with Netflix. 

Gears of War is one of Microsoft's flagship shooter franchises for Xbox and PC. Gears 5 is one of the best-looking games on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, owing to The Coalition's next-gen enhancements, and fans have long wondered if the characters from the universe could eventually make it to TV screens beyond games. We now have a definitive answer to that! 

As a celebration of sixteen years of Gears of War, the video streaming giant announced its plans to partner with current developers The Coalition to adapt the beloved third-person shooter franchise into a live-action feature film.

As it stands, there aren't an enormous number of details confirmed regarding the project. However, Netflix has revealed that an adult animated series will follow shortly after the release of the Gears of War movie. Dave Bautista of WWE and Guardians of the Galaxy fame has notoriously voiced his interest in performing in a Gears of War media project in the past. Will Dave Bautista get his chance to make Marcus' do-rag shine? For now, we'll just have to wait and see! 

Microsoft has a range of media projects in the works right now revolving around some of its key franchises. The Fallout TV project is coming to Amazon Prime Video, while Grounded is getting a show of its own slated for Netflix. We're also getting a second season of the Halo TV show on Paramount, and a Minecraft movie developed by Warner Bros. 

What you need to know

• Development on the Gears 6 campaign appears to have started based on a new Microsoft job listing.
• The listing indicates that The Coalition, the developers of the Gears of War series, are looking for a Lead Mission Designer.
• Gears 6 is expected to follow up on where the story of Gears 5 left off, and could launch at some point in 2024 or 2025.

While the Gears of War developer The Coalition looks to be working on a new IP, that doesn't mean that the studio isn't actively building the next Gears title. In fact, a new job listing on Microsoft's website suggests that the campaign of the next Gears game ⁠— assumed to be Gears 6 ⁠— has entered the development stage.

The job listing in question is for a Lead Mission Designer position at The Coalition, with the developer seeking an individual "with a proven track record of delivering highly engaging, high-quality campaign experiences in games." The listing further states that the Lead Mission Designer will be expected to "work with the Campaign Director and the Level Design Team to design the campaign experience, its pacing, its rewards, and the features that surround it," and will also be responsible for collaborations with The Coalition's Design Team, Level Art Team, programmers, and more.

It's currently unclear when exactly Gears 6 is expected to launch, though based on what Xbox YouTuber Rand Al Thor 19 said our Senior Editor Jez Corden mentioned to him during an episode of the Xbox News Cast podcast, the game could arrive at some point in 2024 or 2025. 

The campaign of Gears 6 would presumably be a direct follow-up to the story of 2019's Gears 5, with its main characters Kait Diaz, Marcus Fenix, Damon Baird, and others expected to return as protagonists. The Swarm, the race of deadly creatures that players fought in Gears of War 4 and Gears 5, is also expected to return as antagonists in Gears 6.

Gears 5 is available now on Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, and can also be played if you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription. It's one of the best Xbox games available if you love action-packed campaign experiences, though the PvP, Horde, and Escape modes are plenty of fun too.

What you need to know

• Gears of War is an Xbox-exclusive franchise owned by Microsoft.
• It used to be owned by Epic Games, who run the popular battle royale shooter Fortnite.
• For Fortnite's Chapter 3 launch, a couple of Gears of War skins seem to be making their way across.

Gears of War is a long-running franchise exclusive to Microsoft platforms, and sits alongside Halo and Forza as one of Xbox's most iconic franchises. Many youngsters running around in Fortnite more than likely have no idea what Gears of War is, let alone the fact that two of the franchise's central protagonists, Marcus Fenix and Kait Diaz, are climbing aboard the battle bus.

Thanks to Fortnite's Polish social media arm jumping the gun a bit, the full trailer for Fortnite's Chapter 3, Season 1 Battle Pass has leaked, showcasing a range of hot media tie-ins. Alongside Gears of War, a range of Spider-man skins are also joining the game, alongside various others.

Fortnite is switching to Unreal Engine 5 with its move to Chapter 3, bringing with it a range of new combat features such as improved physics and destruction, web-slinging (no doubt to support the Spider-man tie in), environmental effects, and sliding.

Fortnite's Chapter 3 will formally kick off on December 7, 2021, putting it up against the formal launch of Halo Infinite, which drops on December 8. Halo Infinite also has sliding, but it has no Gears of War skins (yet).

A long time ago in a video game industry far, far away, Epic Games was once the owner and creator of the much-loved Gears of War franchise. Although, they sold it on to Microsoft to continue the franchise forward.

A new studio was set up in Vancouver, dubbed The Coalition, to shepherd the Gears of War franchise. Since then, the team has put out three Gears of War titles, dubbed Gears of War 4, Gears 5, and Gears Tactics. The Coalition is known to be currently working on two separate projects, one of which is undoubtedly Gears 6, but the other project is shrouded in mystery for the time being.

Gears 6 has yet to break cover, or even become formally announced. Could we see it at The Game Awards this week? Likely not, but who knows? The timing of this Gears tie-in could be viewed as a tad suspicious ...

What you need to know

• Contents of an internal NVIDIA database surfaced online on Sept. 13, including references to various upcoming projects from third-party video game publishers.
• Gears 6 and other forthcoming projects from Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios are among those named, including a project dubbed Oxide.
• Oxide refers to an upcoming strategy/simulation game published by Xbox Game Studios, internally named "Project Indus," according to sources familiar with the matter.

Update Sept. 13 (8:51 p.m. ET): 343 Industries community director, Brian Jarrard, has stated the studio has no plans to bring Halo 5: Guardians to PC at this time.

Update Sept. 14 (4:15 a.m. ET): NVIDIA has stated it's "aware" of a recent database leak, with contents used for "internal tracking and testing." The company has revoked public access to the database following reports.

Several unannounced Xbox Game Studios projects have surfaced via the NVIDIA GeForce Now database, providing possible insight into upcoming Microsoft-published titles. The database contents, published online following documentation released on Monday, refer to PC games in testing, including some tied to major third-party studios.

The database comes via NVIDIA's GeForce Now cloud gaming service, with developer Ighor July documenting a vulnerability that provided access to a database used for internal testing. The resulting list of titles, compiled by SteamDB creator Pavel Djundik, includes references to some foreseeable projects, plus some unlikely to resemble actual products launching anytime soon. However, the entries also shed light on Xbox's future, aligning information from sources familiar with Microsoft's plans.

Database entries include the first mention of Gears 6, the unannounced next title in Microsoft's Gears of War franchise. Vancouver-based studio and Gears caretaker, The Coalition, is expected to be working on the sixth mainline Gears of War game, following up on its acclaimed 2019 predecessor, Gears 5. Microsoft previously discussed Gears 5 in the context of a larger "saga," with more on The Coalition's next project likely to surface over the year ahead.

Halo 5: Guardians on PC makes an appearance, the last Halo title still to make the transition beyond the Xbox consoles. Halo: The Master Chief Collection currently serves as the closest thing to a complete Halo PC experience, a six-part compilation, spanning Halo: Combat Evolved through Halo 4. While developer 343 Industries has previously ruled out a PC debut for Halo 5: Guardians, its presence possibly implies some consideration from the studio.

The database also brings a series of codenames tied to upcoming Xbox Game Studios projects; Project Holland, Project Typhoon, Project Woodstock, and Oxide. Project Holland received an unveiling in 2020 as the Fable reboot, headed by a new team within Forza Horizon developer, Playground Games. Action-packed heist 'em up from Avalanche Studios, Contraband, was once rumored under its "Project Typhoon," while we understand Woodstock relates to the Forza franchise. The "unannounced" title attributed to The Initiative relates to the Perfect Dark reboot teased last December.

It's the first public mention of Microsoft's "Oxide" project, which our sources indicate is in the early stages of development. We understand Oxide is internally known as "Project Indus," a strategy/simulation title, drawing inspiration from the city-building genre.

The referenced projects provide a potential insight into what's ahead for Microsoft and Xbox, although as with any unannounced titles, plans can and will change. However, references to various internal codenames, some unreported, imply a level of legitimacy behind the contents.

We also understand NVIDIA GeForce Now and other cloud streaming services have played a more prominent role in game development throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, providing remote access in work-from-home environments. With such services playing an increasingly crucial role in creating games, we expect multiple entries to reference work unlikely to hit the market – at least, not anytime soon.

Update Sept. 13 (8:51 p.m. ET) — 343 Industries rules out Halo 5: Guardians PC release

343 Industries community director, Brian Jarrard, has stated the studio has no plans to bring Halo 5: Guardians to PC, at this time. "Maybe this was for [Halo 5: Forge] but I can confirm there are no plans to bring [Halo 5] to PC," Jarrard stated in a tweet. "We know there's some demand for it, but as we've stated before, not in the cards as the studio is fully focused on [Halo] Infinite and [Halo: The Master Chief Collection]. Will never say never, but nothing underway currently."

The reaffirmation comes in response to this latest leak, suggesting references to Halo 5 could relate to the Halo 5: Forge project, which brought the title's level-editing toolset to Windows 10 in late 2016. While the same NVIDIA GeForce Now database also names a "Halo 5: Forge Bundle," it appears Halo 5 isn't headed to PC anytime soon.

Update Sept. 14 (4:15 a.m. ET) — NVIDIA responds to GeForce Now database leak

NVIDIA has responded to the latest GeForce Now leak and revoked public access to the reported database. The company has stated it's "aware" of the published list of titles in a statement to Wccftech, claiming the database was used for "internal tracking and testing."

"NVIDIA is aware of an unauthorized published game list, with both released and/or speculative titles, used only for internal tracking and testing. Inclusion on the list is neither confirmation nor an announcement of any game," NVIDIA reportedly stated to Wccftech. "NVIDIA took immediate action to remove access to the list. No confidential game builds or personal information were exposed."

NVIDIA states the database was compiled of "released and/or speculative titles," although we also understand several entries tie back to genuine unannounced projects currently in development. The database includes codenames for internal Microsoft projects, adding credence to at least some of those titles named. However, as an internal database not intended for public consumption, it's safer to take these leaks lightly, until we hear more from the respective publishers.

What you need to know

• Gears 5 developer The Coalition is well-known for always being at the forefront of Unreal Engine game development.
• Today, The Coalition has announced that they're officially shifting resources to the next-gen-only Unreal Engine 5.
• This has exciting implications for the multiple new projects coming in the future from The Coalition.
• It does mean that development on Gears 5, however, will slowly start coming to an end over the next few Operations.

Gears 5 is one of the best showcases for the prowess of next-gen consoles like the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, as well as what can be accomplished with Epic Game's Unreal Engine 4. The Coalition, the developer of the popular Gears (previously Gears of War) series, has long been at the forefront of Unreal Engine game development. Today, The Coalition looks to continue that legacy by moving to the next-gen only Unreal Engine 5 for "multiple new projects in the coming years."

What does this mean? It means that The Coalition has officially begun to shift resources and teams to the new Unreal Engine 5 for game development, and it means that development on the already-excellent Gears 5 will now start to come to an end. Gears 5 has already received a ton of post-launch support, most recently with the arrival of the fantastic Gears 5: Hivebusters DLC, and now we're going to start seeing the end of this active content support.

Through the end of 2021, The Coalition will launch several new updates for Gears 5 with more content and featured playlists, and will drop new playable characters, maps, and more with Operations 7 and 8 (of course following Operation 6 from February, 2021). Gears 5 isn't being cut off instantaneously, and instead will enjoy more updates through the rest of the year until The Coalition is fully invested in the development of several unannounced projects (which won't be revealed for a while, most likely) on Unreal Engine 5.

Gears 5 is one of the best games on Xbox, and it'll be exciting to see what The Coalition is able to accomplish with the power of next-gen gaming hardware and the versatile Unreal Engine 5.

What you need to know

• Gears POP! was a quirky mobile game mash-up of the gritty Gears universe with Funko's signature figures.
• Today, the news is gently breaking that Gears POP! is intending to shut down next year.
• This is thanks to a smattering of still-faithful users to who are sharing Gears POP!'s farewell message.
• The official closing date is April 26, 2021, which means Gears POP! will never celebrate its second birthday.

Some strange sad news coming out today is that Gears POP!, a wacky mobile game that mashed together the storied and gritty Gears franchise with mobile game mechanics (and microtransactions) with the popular toy figures from Funko, appears to be set to close down sometime next year. The news broke thanks to a handful of players who are still visiting the one-off title, like Twitter user @FinalKaos below.

Gears POP! was a strange game, for sure, and represented another attempt by a large gaming company to try and break into the supremely competitive (and profitable) mobile gaming arena, which Microsoft is still in thanks to titles like Minecraft and Forza Street. Gears POP! players may see this message next time they log into the game:

While there are undoubtedly still players who will be upset by this decision, and Gears POP! is closing down surprisingly quickly, even for a mobile game, the Gears franchise is stronger than ever. With next-gen gaming being heralded by the upcoming Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, Gears 5 embraces the power with a huge update and tons of enhancements, while Gears Tactics will make its debut on consoles as an Xbox Series X and S launch title. Both Gears titles and their next-gen updates will be available through Xbox Game Pass.

What you need to know

• Cliff Bleszinski is one of the creators of Gears of War.
• He founded a studio called Boss Key Productions a few years ago.
• The team released a first-person shooter called LawBreakers on PC and PlayStation 4.
• Now, Bleszinski wishes he had brought the game to Xbox One since it's the platform where gamers knew him.

A couple of years ago, Cliff Bleszinski, one of the creators of Gears of War, launched a game called LawBreakers for PC and PlayStation 4. The title never made its way to Xbox One and at the time, it seemed like a curious omission because every Xbox gamer is familiar with the critically-acclaimed Gears of War franchise.

Now, it seems like Bleszinski regrets not bringing the game to Microsoft's console. He said on Twitter, "when people follow your career from a beloved series such as Gears on Xbox, might have made sense to put the new game on said console." You can read the thread below.

https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/1262818451099394049?s=20

It's important to note that while Xbox players may have been more receptive to LawBreakers, it didn't do well on PC either. Boss Key Productions closed down shortly after that. While there's no way of knowing if it would've become a sensation on Xbox One, it certainly wouldn't have hurt its chances.

What did you think of LawBreakers? Did you play it? Is the 76 Metacritic score justified? Let us know.

Recently, we got to check out Gears Tactics, which is quite easily the "deepest" Gears of War yet. Why? Namely in customization, allowing players to fully customize their troops loadouts, skills, and weaponry to change up your playstyle.

Gears 5 certainly began exploring this, with some light customization for Jack, your companion droid who could help you out in combat. It was a great dip into the water, but Gears Tactics goes all out, full XCOM style, complete with armor types, weapon mods, and skill trees.

Here's a look at what it's like in Gears Tactics, and why we think it would be awesome for Gears of War 6.

Gears Tactics is deep and complex

Gears Tactics is a turn-based XCOM-style strategy game, complete with a cinematic story, true Gears characters, and AAA visuals. The game shares many similarities with Gears, namely its enemies, weapons, setting, and characters.

Gameplay wise, however, it couldn't be more different, trading the high-octane third-person shooting for tactical play. That said, there are plenty of elements in Gears Tactics that would easily translate into the main franchise.

Gears Tactics, like XCOM, revolves around building up a small army to undertake both main story missions and randomly-generated side missions, which you can use for gearing up, getting experience points, and finding items. Gabe Diaz is there to gather the scattered C.O.G. forces to launch a counter-attack against a surging Locust horde, hellbelt on destroying humanity.

All missions give you opportunities to loot weapon mods, items, gear, consumeables, and recover soldiers for your army. If you're playing on Iron Man mode, expendable troops can suffer from perma-death, forcing you to change tactics and gear up new troops.

I'm not suggesting Gears of War 6 needs any sort of troop-management layer, but it's in the mods, skills, and gear that could make the next big Gears story campaign elevate itself to another level.

The Coalition clearly demonstrated a desire to push in this direction with Gears 5, via Jack and some limited open world elements, but Gears Tactics is showing us that they have the capability and capacity to inject more RPG into the franchise at large.

Gears 6 needs a playstyle boost

While Gears 5 certainly offered plenty of variety, complete with new melee weapons, and Jack's abilities, pushing customization out even further, Gears Tactics-style systems could be a big boost to the overall sense of progression and growth.

Although we don't have official screenshots to share, we were shown a glimpse of Gears Tactics' in-depth weapon and armor customizations, which offer tantalizing possibilities. For example, on the regular Lancer, you could swap out scopes, improving range, accuracy, and critical strike ratios. Some even came with passive skills that had direct active gameplay effects, complete with loot shooter style "Common, Rare, Epic," color-coded rarity designations.

That also came with a lot of visual flair on models too, changing the style of your weapons. It's something Gears has never really offered, outside of the multiplayer's gaudy skins. One Legendary weapon mod we saw added passive skill bonuses, in addition to extra stats.

This level of customization extends to armor too, changing the style of your gear, while adding stats and other features. Some of the higher-end armor models look really badass, strapped with grenades and ammo belts. Ones that improve defence look almost space marine-esque, with huge hulking steel plates. One armor style even looked a little more like a trenchcoat, perhaps aimed towards the Scout class for more up-close-and-personal play. You can change the style of your chest armor, helmet, and legs independently, too. And on top of that, you can alter the appearance colors, accents, all down to the metallic finish.

I'm not suggesting that Gears 6 would benefit from allowing you to go all-in customizing characters and allowing you to run around with thematically odd neon-green armor. But the fact you can obtain gear, mods, and customize them to your heart's content is an exciting prospect for the future of Gears, beyond Tactics.

What do YOU think?

I know there's a certain school of thought that Gears should remain Gears, focused on linearity and violence, but increasingly it feels like a bit of a hard sell in 2020. Since Gears 5 already tested the waters with Jack's customization layer, I felt like I was playing a watered down Mass Effect at times, whose Infiltrator class effectively has the same abilities as Jack in Gears 5, albeit with more variety.

I think Gears should definitely push further into shooter-RPG territory, but only if executed properly. What do you think? Hit the comments, let us know.

Related: Read our Gears Tactics full review!

Gears Tactics is an upcoming turn-based XCOM-style tactics game from The Coalition and Splash Damage, taking the popular shooter franchise into a fresh new genre. Tactics games have been consistently popular for decades, particularly for spin-offs, from the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics all the way to Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

Tactics games have seen a bit of a renaissance lately, with significant success stories from games like Mutant Year Zero and the more RPG-oriented titles like Divinity Original Sin 2. I got into tactics games with XCOM: Enemy Unknown back on the Xbox 360, having dabbled with old school classics like Fallout 1 and 2 back in the day. I've always felt that Gears of War, with its cover system and flank-style gameplay, always seemed weirdly in-line with an XCOM-style experience. It turns out it works far better than I'd have ever expected.

Recently we got to see an hour's worth of glorious Gears Tactics gameplay, which may not only become a surprise hit but may also stand tall as one of the best Gears of War games, rather than some mere spin-off.

Gears of War, with an RPG twist

Gears Tactics is set during the early days of the saga. Set on the planet of Sera, Gears of War follows the trials of humanity as they battle a previously unknown subterranean threat, the Locust swarm. The Locust are towering reptilian humanoids, although they have tons of war-beasts and other types of mutants in their arsenal. Gears Tactics answers the question of exactly where some of the more outlandish beasts came from with an all-new antagonist.

In keeping with the tactical theme, Gears Tactics introduces Gabe Diaz on the human side. The father of Kait from Gears of War 4 onwards, Gabe is a tactician first and foremost, charged with cobbling together the remnants of the C.O.G. war machine to take the fight back to the Locust.

The primary antagonist this time around is Ukkon, who is an uncharacteristically intelligent Locust engineer and geneticist, responsible for the sect producing some of the machinery and hulking war beasts we often see throughout the Gears universe.

Capable of human speech with an uncanny ability to regenerate from injuries, Ukkon has all the makings and intrigue of a leading Gears of War villain, up there with the likes of RAAM. The fact that Gears Tactics will have the breadth to dive a little bit further into the Locust backstory and lore outside of the books a bit more is also a tantalizing prospect, especially as a long-time Gears player.

The cinematics we were shown are of the quality level you'd expect of The Coalition, complete with the character-driven emotion and twists and turns the franchise is known for. It looks like we're getting a full-blown, real Gears game here, albeit wrapped in a tidy tactical RPG-style package.

Advancing Gears, advancing tactics

While Gears Tactics has a lot of familiarities that tactics-style game fans will appreciate, it does a few unique things that try to bridge the gap between fans of Gears of War at large and isometric turn-based play.

Gears Tactics does a fair bit to let you tailor your UI. You can reduce the number of statistics and hit chances on-screen, and give it a more arcade feel if you so prefer. The Coalition has also gone all-out to provide Gears Tactics with all the graphics tweaks, and settings PC gamers expect, along with a benchmarking tool. You can play with a gamepad if you prefer, but right now, it's designed primarily with mouse and keyboard in mind.

Beyond settings, Gears Tactics follows a generally familiar format for isometric turn-based games, altered to give it a more familiar "Gears"-style feel. There are no grid restrictions like say, XCOM. Instead, you can move your characters in any direction based on a specific radius per action point. Action points govern the number of abilities or movements you can take each turn, like most similar games. In Gears Tactics, though, The Coalition wanted to reward aggression to keep the pacing of the game a little closer to that of a shooter. There are many abilities that reward combos of cascading action points, allowing you to put a lot of pressure on your enemies.

Executions are a Gears of War staple, and in Tactics, they reward your entire party with an additional action point for that turn, which can dramatically change the situation, while also giving you risk and reward scenarios to balance.

An execution may leave one of your characters open and without cover, for example, but the extra points you'll receive for additional actions may be worth the risk. Enemy mobs all take their turns simultaneously and relatively quickly, restricting how much time you have to wait between turns. It's this flow that keeps Gears Tactics moving in a way that similar games often don't.

Source: Microsoft

While there is no grid for movement, Gears Tactics units do "snap" into cover, similarly to how you can in the regular game. Sliding into cover, in fact, gives you a few more meters of movement per action point to play with, which can help set up flanking maneuvers. And you'll be doing plenty of that. Throughout the game, you battle with all the staple Gears of War Locust enemies, as well as a few new ones that complement the strategy experience. One thing The Coalition has paid careful attention to is the way staple enemies handle in a tactical setting.

For example, tickers from Gears of War 2 are effectively landmines on legs, running around before self-detonating. Tickers are hard to hit while they're moving, but you can kick them over like in the regular Gears of War game, and they take extra damage while flipped over, allowing you to turn the tide on a group of enemies. Emergence holes return, too, spewing additional enemies into the area unless you deal with them appropriately.

Managing the C.O.G.

Taking on enemies in Gears Tactics is core to the game, of course, and you get a vast range of tools, weapons, and upgrades to get you going. At face value, this looks set be the deepest Gears of War game ever made, and as an XCOM fan, I think The Coalition and Splash Damage have totally nailed it.

Your squad in Gears Tactics is split into heroes, which are fixed characters that make up the story and appear in cutscenes, and troops, which are characters susceptible to perma-death. The game has an Ironman Mode, which means your choices, successes, and failures are permanent, which will come with associated achievements.

Otherwise, you can play at a regular pace and return to earlier saves to rescue a particularly powerful hero you may have lost. All characters have tons of visual customization, too, with armor styles, weapon mods, colors, metallic finishes. For the procedurally-generated troops, you can even change their names in true XCOM-style.

Source: Microsoft

All characters gain experience and level up through missions, across four staple classes with different talent trees and specializations. Heavy-gunners, for example, specialize at covering an area in place, gaining stacking accuracy the longer they remain in one position. Shotgun-wielders excel at pushing and closer-range combat, granting the team additional action points.

There are also sniper specializations and more leadership-oriented ones, alongside hero abilities that can drastically change the course of the action. And you're going to need those abilities to take on some of the game's signature set-piece boss battles, which are not only huge but come with devastating abilities that will push your knowledge of your troops and movements.

Don't sleep on Gears Tactics

Gears Tactics is slated to be a single-player only affair with no microtransactions whatsoever, heading day one to Xbox Game Pass PC and Steam. Microsoft says that Gears Tactics will eventually come to Xbox One in the future, although there's no confirmed date as to when in the near-term. This is very much a PC-oriented experience right now, with UI designed for keyboards and mice, so some elements would need to be tweaked for a console experience, or even a Project xCloud touch-oriented experience down the line.

The number one thing I often hear from Gears of War fans about Gears Tactics is that the genre puts them off. If you're one of those people, I'd say: keep your eye on it. It seems to have all the high-quality cinematics, and intriguing story delivery Gears is known for. The gameplay appears to have been meticulously positioned to retain that sense of speed and aggression that is uniquely Gears. Rushing forward with a chainsaw, blowing up a group of enemies with a grenade, complete with all that meaty gore and gigantic set-piece boss battles that should create some truly memorable experiences. At least, that's the hope.

Don't sleep on Gears Tactics, I know I won't be.

Related: Gears Tactics has tons of graphics tweaks for PC players

Related: Read our Gears Tactics full review!

What you need to know

• Rod Fergusson, studio head for Gears of War caretaker, The Coalition, has announced plans to depart Microsoft.
• Fergusson joins Blizzard Entertainment next month, overseeing the Diablo franchise.

The Coalition head, Rod Fergusson, has announced plans to depart Microsoft, and moving onto a role within Activision Blizzard. Overseeing Xbox Game Studios' dedicated Gears of War developer for half a decade, Fergusson will soon shift focus to the Diablo franchise.

His departure follows heading The Coalition since inception, migrating away from Black Tusk Studios branding and shipping three Gears of War titles. While debuting the remastered Gears of War: Ultimate Edition in 2015, Fergusson watched over the four and fifth mainline entries. It comes as Microsoft prepares to release Gears Tactics in April, shifting away from its shooter roots into turn-based strategy.

Fergusson announced the move on Twitter, detailing plans to join the Diablo team in March.

Fergusson started his career at Microsoft, shifting to Epic Games in 2005, aiding in the development of the original Gears of War trilogy. His return to Microsoft followed its acquisition of Gears of War, since delivering two mainline titles, and now solidified among the staples of the modern Xbox lineup. While scheduled to depart in March, a new studio head is yet to be confirmed. It follows former Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Gaming, Mike Ybarra, who joined Blizzard Entertainment in late 2019, following 20 years at Redmond.

Microsoft is scheduled to ship Gears Tactics on April 28, 2020, headed to Xbox Game Pass for PC, and Steam. Its tactical squad gameplay essentially fuzes the world of Gears of War with XCOM, primarily developed Splash Damage, with support from the Vancouver-based developer. That follows the launch of Gears 5, which while initially launching to praise, has struggled to retain a long-term following.

What you need to know

• Gears Pop! is a mobile collaboration between Funko and Microsoft.
• It features real-time player vs. player gameplay.
• While it is free, there are microtransactions.
• You can download it on Android, iOS, or Windows 10.

Updated September 13, 2019: A new patch for Gears Pop! fixes the login issue. The team is also giving away a pack as compensation.

At Gamescom 2019, Microsoft provided a number of new announcements and details about the Gears of War franchise. While Gears 5 is an upcoming third-person shooter from Microsoft's The Coalition studio, Gears Pop! is a mobile game that's a lot of fun. The game launched on August 22 and is a free-to-play title so there's no risk in testing it out.

The launch period hasn't been without its problems, but a new update is out which brings balance changes and a lot more. In a post, the Gears Pop! team said, "We want to mention that the Xbox Live Login issue continues to be a top priority. The cause has been identified and the team is working on a solution. We'll be sharing updates on our social channels and we appreciate your patience."

https://twitter.com/GearsPOP/status/1171169391435603968?s=20

We'll keep you posted as soon as the Xbox Live sign-in issue is resolved. It's unclear how much time it will take. It seems like the problem is limited to a small number of players at the moment.

Gears Pop! is a bit like Plants vs Zombies where our favorite Gears characters face-off against one another in "fast-paced explosive real-time multiplayer battles." Over 30 characters from the franchise are in the game currently, and you can bet that number will likely grow over time.

Excellent and affordable Xbox accessories

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ElecGear 4 Port USB Xbox One S Hub ($19 at Amazon)

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Controller Gear stand ($13 at Amazon)

Proudly display your Xbox gamepads with this stylish and functional stand. The licensed design is minimalist and black, and it has a hidden storage compartment, making the price of $13 a real steal.

Recently, I played Gears 5's campaign extensively at The Coalition in Vancouver, giving me some unique insight into how you can maximize the fun ahead of the game's general launch on September 10.

Without spoiling, Gears 5 charts Kait's journey to learn more about her family past, as humanity spirals towards a brand new all-out war with an evolving Swarm. Before you head into the campaign, I thought I'd offer some tips and tricks that might help you get the most out of the game, listed below.

Related: Gears 5 Campaign Preview

Consider re-capping Gears of War 4

Gears 5 does contain a recap video under "Extras" for those who want to brush up on their knowledge of previous games, but having played through Gears 5, there are some nuances in the character interactions that I think could be more impactful with fresh knowledge of Gears of War 4.

Gears 5 takes place a short while after the events of Gears of War 4, where a new threat known only as the Swarm appears from the ashes of the Locust, giving a desperate humanity another apocalyptic fight on its hands. Gears 5 is a very character-oriented story, revolving primarily around Kait Diaz and her friends, JD and Del. Getting some deeper insight into their histories together from playing through Gears of War 4 will certainly enhance the experience. If you can stand to wait, that is.

Choosing difficulties

When we visited The Coalition, they spoke to me about how they've revamped the difficulty scaling for Gears 5, seeing it more of a progression curve. Beginner and Intermediate difficulties are there for those who want a more approachable experience. Beginners can even add lock-on aiming through the options menu, giving you an additional tool. These difficulties are per player in co-op too, so if you fancy a bigger challenge while playing with a less experienced relative or younger sibling, you can play on Experienced mode, while they play on Beginner mode.

The difficulty options are as follows:

• Beginner: The most approachable option, for newcomers to the genre or those who simply want to experience the story without much stress. This mode also includes the option of lock-on aiming.
• Intermediate: Perhaps you've played some shooters before but still want a relatively stress-free experience, this might be the choice for you.
• Experienced: This is how The Coalition wants Gears fans to play Gears 5. This will make enemies more lethal, forcing you to think more tactically about cover and managing Jack.
• Insane: The ultimate Gears challenge, this mode is an unforgiving slaughter fest for those who seek a more brutal challenge.

Jack is your new BFF

Jack is a third playable character option, but if nobody is playing as him, he becomes a cunning support tool that can help you overcome some of the game's most difficult segments.

Jack is a hovering robot and is able to equip two active abilities at any one time. He can also be upgraded, equipped with a range of augmentations unlockable while finding components out in the field. These look like little circuit racks with yellow glowing batteries in them. They can be found lying around or stored inside electrical components in walls. Look everywhere, for they are abundant. Jack cannot use cover, but he automatically slips into stealth after performing actions. You can reduce the gap between his re-stealthing by upgrading him. Jack can be squishy, and if he dies it's game over, so be careful while playing him.

By holding the Left Bumper, you can swap Jack's abilities around using the d-pad. Alternatively, you can press the view key to manage what's equipped, as well as install upgrades. Each active ability has an "Ultimate" upgrade which must be acquired through side quests in some of Gears 5's wide-linear open segments. You can respec all of Jack's components at any time if you fancy trying a different loadout.

In addition to his combat abilities, Jack can also be sent to retrieve ammo and weapons without forcing you to break cover. Simply target the weapon you want Jack to recover by aiming at it, then by holding down X. Note that to retrieve heavy weapons, Jack will need an upgrade. Jack's ability to retrieve things also extends to some puzzles. If you feel like you're stuck on a section without anywhere to go, look around for something for Jack to interact with. Jack can be sent to fly up through vents, for example, which can help you gain access to areas Kait and her friends might not be able to. Jack's Pulse scan and Shock trap can be used to look for interactive objects in the environment, and disable generators respectively.

His active abilities cooldown more quickly outside of combat, allowing you to set up multiple Shock traps before committing to a battle, for example. Don't be afraid to spam Pulse either outside of combat, as it might reveal areas and collectibles you might have otherwise missed.

General gameplay tips

Beyond the above, there are also a range of small gameplay nuances that I wish I'd taken more seriously at the beginning of the game.

• Markers: While playing solo, if you aim at an enemy and click-in the left stick, it marks them as a target. Your A.I. allies will prioritize that target, which can be useful for taking out more annoying enemies like flying Guardians.
• Higher difficulty play: The number one thing that will kill you on higher difficulties are explosives since they have no real markers. Take extra care when fighting Scions with Dropshots, Hunters with Torque Bows, or Grenadiers. Dodge rolling by tapping A can save you, but enemies will also track your movements and try to predict where you're going. Sometimes, simply running back and finding higher cover might even be safer.
• Wardens: Wardens are new enemies that dual-wield maces, and can kill you extremely quickly. They can only be hurt with headshots, but they move extremely slow. Roadie running around with A will prevent them from ever getting to you but always run at an angle. If you try to run past them, they might catch you with a ground slam.
• Stealth: Gears 5 has some rudimentary stealth mechanics, allowing you to occasionally initialize combat when the enemy is unaware of you. Enemies won't hear your footsteps or executions from behind, but being seen or shooting any type of weapon will alert the area to your presence.
• Exploration: Gears 5 has a few open-world segments that come with a few side quests, primarily for upgrading Jack's abilities, but also for finding collectibles that enhance the narrative of the game world and story. These side-quest locations are marked by large green flags, typically, so keep an eye on the horizon.

Gears 5 is the evolution the franchise needed

Gears 5 evolves the tried-and-tested cover shooter formula with new features, including RPG-like upgrades for Jack, soft open-world gameplay, and the largest Gears campaign to date. In addition to the campaign, Gears 5 also has a wealth of multiplayer modes, including a Left 4 Dead-like Escape mode complete with map builder, Arena PvE combat mode called Horde, and Versus PvP modes.

Hopefully, these tips will help you get the most out of the game once it arrives on September 10, and September 5 for Game Pass Ultimate and Gears 5 Ultimate Edition owners.

I'm a huge fan of the Gears of War franchise. Right from the first game, it became a tradition in my household for me and my siblings to co-op it up with some Gears, as per every new release. But like that sense of tradition, Gears of War, as a franchise, has certain expectations attached to it.

I adored Gears of War 4, which introduced us to a new generation trying to carve out a niche on a world recovering from a devastating war. The monstrous subterranean Locust almost succeeded in wiping out humanity, was it not for the Marcus Fenix, Dom Santiago, and the rest of Delta Squad, across Gears of War 1 through 3. Gears 4 took a slightly different approach, introducing us to a new threat — the Swarm — born from the ashes of the Locust. But beyond that, it played it extremely safe with the "Gears" format. Chest-high cover walls, cinematic set pieces, and linearity, with little in the way of surprises.

Shed your expectations — Gears 5 changes everything.

Microsoft invited us to The Coalition studios to check out Gears 5 ahead of the game's launch. (Gears 5 officially launches on September 10, 2019, and a bit earlier for Ultimate Edition and Game Pass owners.)

Suffice to say, this isn't "just another Gears."

Gears 5 is a story of paranoia, betrayal, and trauma

For our preview, The Coalition propelled us forward a few chapters, near the setting of that mysterious original trailer. I don't want to give too much away for those looking to avoid spoilers, but the snippets of the 20 plus hour campaign we explored offered more insight into the dynamics between Kait, Del, and JD, and the current state of the trio's relationship.

The three were previously Outsiders, living outside COG government jurisdiction. Now, they're all enlisted, along with almost every Outsider village as the skirmishes between the Swarm and the remaining humans become more intense. The first act we played had us venture into one of the remaining Outsider outposts to try and get them on board voluntarily.

Already I got a sense of world-building that felt like a step up from Gears of War 4. Exploring the village produced tons of collectibles filled with lore, which offered context for the tension between the Outsiders and the COG. Kids ran around playing "Kill the Fascists!," in reference to dictatorial iron grip the COG maintains over the remaining nations of the world.

Eventually, you'll meet the village chief — a familiar face. But there was little time for a reunion. A whole cavalcade of diabolical new Swarm enemies suddenly assault the outpost, slaughtering civilian NPCs as you lead the counter-attack.

The Swarm, like many of Gears 5's systems, has begun to evolve beyond their Locust roots. New leech-like parasites that swarm in the air, similar to the Kryll, can also subvert COG technology. One of the new enemies is a grotesque half DR-1 DeeBee robot half Swarm biomutant, which functions as a living turret known as a Stump. These enemies have piles of health, and can attach themselves dynamically to walls or ceilings, as you chip away at their health. They tend to wield heavy weapons too, making them all the more tricky to deal with. The meatier corrupted DeeBees are also far more fun to fight than their more metallic cousins and should prove a little more popular than they were previously.

During the attack, Kait loses control, subverted by the Swarm hivemind. During this sequence, you're given the ability to control various Swarm units, while harrowing whispers swirl in Kait's head. It is in this instance Kait realizes that something is desperately wrong and that her ties to the Swarm might be deeper than she had previously realized.

Throughout the acts we played, Kait experienced headaches from the Swarm Hivemind, along with paranoid visions filled with dark mutterings, full of ill-intent. It provides some insight into what being plugged into the Locust / Swarm hivemind is like, adding a layer of horror into the mix. The Hivemind attempts to drive Kait into mistrusting her allies, showing her visions of them conspiring against her. It's hard to tell who to trust, which makes the campaign all the more mysterious — nothing seems safe, and it is that invasive sense of vulnerability that could help this to be the most engrossing Gears story to date.

Gears 5 flirts with an open-world RPG format

As Kait journeys across Sera to unearth the truth about her origins, you'll travel across expansive open-world hubs that represent some of the largest Gears of War areas to date. A sail-driven Skiff (which handles very nicely) is your primary mode of transport, complete with the ability to store heavy weapons for later use. We experienced two biomes for Gears 5, one in the ice-blasted wastes surrounding Mount Kadar and New Hope, and another in the red sands of former UIR territory.

These areas are perhaps closer in size to those found in games like Metro Exodus — not truly open world — but designed to foster exploration and reward players who enjoy traversal. To accommodate the format, Gears 5 is the first in the series with an actual map function, giving you access to "?" locations which could contain resources, story elements, or collectibles.

The two areas we explored were tightly packed and dense. Kait and Del frequently spoke too about the landscape, random banter, and every location you came across, helping Gears retain its signature cinematic feel. This isn't open world for the sake of it, The Coalition has quite clearly worked hard to ensure Gears maintains the feel fans expect while creating a canvas to truly evolve the franchise.

You can simply ignore all of the side quests and content if you so choose. We were told that The Coalition expects a player skipping side quests and exploration could get through the campaign in around 12 hours, while those who dabble would see 20 plus. A completionist might find even more to uncover. In addition to story collectibles like text logs and data files, there are also unique "Relic" weapons to uncover, which have unique properties. One Relic weapon we found was a Boltok pistol designed for hip firing, gunslinger style. To obtain it, we had to battle through two Swarm flocks and waves of enemies to get it, who had swarmed upon a crashed COG aircraft.

To enhance the more open areas, The Coalition also had to pile on additional reasons to explore. One of those reasons comes in the form of Jack the robot, who represents Gears 5's first foray into light RPG progression systems. Jack is far more powerful and potent than he was in previous games, used primarily to open doors. Now, he can zap Swarm enemies with stunning electric bolts, spawn over shields on his allies, and generate stealth fields for the entire party.

These systems and features can be upgraded using tech found around the game's maps and locations, as well as unlocked as part of the story. The enemies have been tuned in response to Jack's presence as well, requiring some of his abilities and tactics to progress effectively. For example, levels aren't washed with ammunition like they were in previous games, but you can send Jack out to pick up ammo from downed enemies in the field. You can't depend on Jack, however, since a lot of his skills come with fairly long cooldown timers, especially when playing on "Experienced" difficulty or above.

Connecting these more open areas are more traditional Gears-like levels. We dived into the frost-bitten ruins of the New Hope facility, with its familiar labyrinthine hallways. We explored UIR rocket silos in the scorched desert, with unique cultural arctehicture of its own, hinting at a broader world. These more structured areas provide some of the epic cinematic set-pieces Gears is known for, while the open-world areas that connect them together make Gears 5 feel more modern, while also creating a sense of scale that previous games simply couldn't achieve.

Gears 5 sets the groundwork for the future

While the RPG layer on Jack and the open-world systems are relatively rudimentary, they show the care and attention The Coalition is taking as they evolve the franchise. Clearly this is all about exploring the boundaries of what Gears of War can truly be, without sacrificing everything that made the franchise great in the first place. The fact the studio has kept things quite densely packed and tight represents a desire to maintain that level of cinematic pacing that often gets completely lost when other games make the leap to "open-world." Don't expect to spend 30 hours gathering herbs or doing repetitive fetch quests, for example. Every locale came with something interesting to find, complete with unique dialogue and scenes.

The fact Gears 5 somehow achieves 4K 60 on the Xbox One X across all of its modes, without apparently sacrificing any of the visual quality from Gears of War 4 is nothing short of wizardry. The game was as smooth as they come, with fluid, satisfying gunplay and polished vehicle handling on the Skiff. Some of the lighting and draw distances simply defy belief, and although the game uses dynamic resolution scaling to maintain that frame rate, it's difficult to perceive with the naked eye.

I found myself ensorcelled by the game's snow and sand effects, which glisten in the light and part naturally under the weight of your boots. The dynamic cover that spawns along with Razorhail spikes hitting the ground, or springing up from the earth as lightning strikes and instantly glasses the sand is awe-inspiring, creating an ever-evolving battlefield. Even in the slower-paced sections, where you can initiate combat from the game's stealth mechanics, felt polished, albeit rudimentary, perfect for exploration in future installments. The game even has some light puzzle elements, as Kait guides radio sensors to uncover locations on the game's open-world map.

Gears 5 is everything the franchise needs

As good as I'm expecting Gears 5 to be after this gameplay demo, what excites me more than anything is the fact The Coalition is signaling loud and clear that they are ready to grow this franchise.

They aren't going to complacently milk the very basic Gears of War format over and over for years to come. The fact the studio is exploring ways to introduce exploration, vehicle traversal, and RPG progression mechanics, all without sacrificing the dense cinematic action Gears is known for, convinces me that The Coalition is the perfect steward for this legendary franchise.

In 2019, there isn't a universe where Gears of War could continue to plod ahead with the linear corridor shooter format. Like the game's ever-mutating enemies, Gears of War has to evolve to meet the expectations of modern gamers. It looks like Gears 5 is the evolution the franchise desperately needed.

Related: Interview with The Coalition on the future of Gears of War

During our visit to The Coalition, we were able to sit down with Studio Head Rod Fergusson and Franchise Narrative Lead Bonnie Jean Mah to learn more about the direction of the Gears of War franchise.

Gears 5 launches on September 10 (albeit a bit earlier for Ultimate Edition and Game Pass owners). In our hands-on preview with the campaign, we discovered a Gears game unlike any of its predecessors, pushing boldly into open-world, almost-RPG territory. It's clear The Coalition is thinking about the future of the franchise and isn't content with simply resting on its laurels with the tried-and-tested Gears formula.

Related: Gears 5 Campaign Preview

What might that future look like? We sat down with the team to find out.

Growing the Gears 5 franchise

Jez Corden, Windows Central Senior Editor: I'm a huge Gears fan, but I haven't necessarily been super hyped for Gears 5. I was expecting Gears 5 to be good, but also, that it would be "just another Gears." However, going hands-on with the campaign I'm a little bit more like, "oh wow, they're serious." It seems a little less like you're just maintaining the franchise, and are instead looking to grow and expand the franchise. Is that what you've been looking at?

Rod Fergusson, The Coalition Studio Head: When we came into Gears 4, our thinking was "we're a new team, new studio, and only four of us have played Gears before." We wanted to show that we knew how to make a Gears game. We didn't want to go too radical, because we didn't want the fans to think "wow, they don't even know what they're doing." It was intentional.

We wanted to get people to trust us. When we started doing the beta tour and started talking to fans more, we discovered that many of them already did trust us. We may have like, "over-indexed" on trying to prove ourselves.

As we look forward, our goal with the next generation is to take Gears to a more contemporary, more modern place, compared to other shooters in the wider industry. We want to lean into that with Gears 5, and deliver more of our personality and Coalition sensibilities into the mix. We dabble with open-world gameplay for our larger levels, we're dabbling with RPG-type things with Jack's abilities. We're thinking more about player choice. Traditionally, player choice in Gears boiled down to what gun you chose. You didn't have a choice of location, and your only verb was to shoot. With Jack's abilities, and the Skiff, player-initiated combat and other new elements, I think these are ways we can turn Gears on its head a bit, while still staying true to the essence of Gears. We want to give the player more "verbs" to play with.

Jez: You mentioned open-world and RPG elements and things like that, but one thing I noticed that felt ramped up was the world-building, through collectibles, environmental details, NPC interactions, slower-paced areas you can just explore. Even the small puzzle elements, using radio signals to unlock parts of the open-world maps made me feel more anchored in the game's world. We've got books, we've got comics, it really feels like Gears could far beyond its identity as a game.

Rod: You have to look at it from both sides. Immersion is huge for us. We think of Gears as grounded sci-fi. When we bring things to life, we think about how to make things believable — not necessarily realistic? You just have to be able to kind of squint and go, like "I could kind of maybe see that working?" We apply that to the immersion factor in our grounded world.

Some things we wanted to do like the wind-driven Skiff, still may seem a little out there, but you can still see it working. With our books and our comics and other world-building exercises, it's all about creating a bigger, more expansive franchise for people to play in. Even the Hive Buster characters from the Escape mode create negative space that we can go and chase new stories in.

On the other side, with multiplayer, we can indulge the pop-culture side of the game. It's not so immersive, but it's just so cool, you know? We can get Halo Reach in here, we can get Sarah Connor and the Terminator from Dark Fate in here. We think about how we can grow the franchise by collaborating with other platforms. It's just awesome. Partnering with 343 Industries to bring the Halo Reach cast back in to record new voice-overs felt like a great homage.

Gears of War's strengths and weaknesses

Jez: Speaking of 343 Industries, and I don't want to sound mean...

Rod: Haha, but you're going to...

Jez: I mean, I'm a Gears guy, I like my chainsaws, my exploding guts, and so on, but it always felt like Gears was in Halo's shadow in terms of Xbox exclusives. Is that something you think about?

Rod: When you look at it, when you're taking care of a franchise like this, you have to be honest with yourself and ask "What are our strengths, what are our weaknesses?" In that, one of our strengths is also one of our weaknesses, with is the chainsaw. The chainsaw Lancer helps define who we are as Gears of War, and helped us get the platform we have. The chainsaws also ensure we're a Hard M mature-rating, which means we can't be put on a Pepsi bottle, for example.

We have an opportunity to expand with games like Gears POP! for example. But I think if we got rid of the Hard M, it'd be like having a Deadpool movie that is PG-13. People would be like "I don't want to watch that movie." If we made a Gears without swearing, or blood, or gore, and no chainsaw teen-rated Gears — we'd alienate our fandom. And so then you have to realize, our strengths put a bit of a cap on how mainstream we can potentially go.

Of course, our plan is to grow. To grow its reach, and our player base. That's why we're trying to make Gears 5 more approachable with things like Boot Camp training, Arcade Versus mode, and even things like Game Pass. We have a real opportunity there since people don't have to pay $60 to try it out. This is an interesting moment in time for Gears as a franchise, we're coming together with comic books, the novels, and the movie and all that stuff. We believe we've created the most approachable, best version of our game. We'll see how people react to this moment in time. It will dictate how we look to the future, but we're setting ourselves up to capitalize.

Gears of War expanded universe and lore

Jez: On the wider Gears universe... tell me, does Earth exist somewhere beyond Sera?

Bonnie Jean Mah, Gears of War Narrative Lead: Negative space? Yeah, that's our answer. Basically, we haven't defined a lot of this stuff in our universe. There's lots of stuff that we purposefully don't pin down, as we want to make sure that we have many questions we are able to answer in the future, and also not pay for something. That's a great example of not being able to give an answer one way or another, because it exists in negative space.

Rod: If we were to pin it down, and just say "no," just to give you clarity, and then I realized I do want to go to earth in another game, you'd be like "I thought it wasn't in this universe." Some people are now speculating whether or not we're inside the Halo universe... laughs

We always think of it like this: "as long as we have enough to tell the story of our game." I want to do that with the least amount of explanation possible because it allows us to go in and add details to many different places. The best example of negative space getting fleshed out is from Gears 1, where Carmine says "Are you the Marcus Fenix, the hero from the battle of Ashpho Fields?" Cool, we had no idea what that was.

When Karen Travis came aboard and asked what could she write about, Aspho Fields was a clear piece of negative space waiting to be filled in. We tapped into Karen, as a military journalist working with the British Army. She made the Battle of Aspho Fields way richer, and way cooler than we could have come up with in a conference room, arbitrarily trying to fill in the negative space in a few hours of meetings. That's how we look at our franchise. For the wider lore, among our new authors, we look for little sand boxes where we let them create things safely and come up with new lore that won't impact the core story. It helps inform us, and then move towards working them together.

Jez: I do often think like, "where could this all go?" I do own the books, but I hate reading...

Rod: The new book Ascendance is actually up on Audible, bridges the gap between Gears 4 and 5. We actually got the voice of Anya, Nan McNamara to read it, it's really awesome.

Bonnie Jean: It's cool for fans who are interested in what happened between Gears 4 and 5, because it's not a huge space in time. You get some insight into her headspace after the events of Gears 4. The nightmares, the headaches, and so on, leading up to Gears 5. The Swarm were still a relatively fresh problem at the end of Gears 4, and it dives into how JD and the trio try to convince the COG that this is actually a problem. That said, it's not required reading for the game. It's for fans that are interested in diving deeper, it's important that one of our pillars be that the Expanded Universe stuff is mainly there if you want it. The game will give you everything you need.

Jez: Do you have a central repository where all the franchise's lore lives?

Rod: One of the first things Bonnie Jean did when she first came was to organize an archive of all the things that had come before, and build out a timeline. It was really important when building some of the comics like The Rise of Raam to know where exactly the characters were at the time. The good thing about moving to a new generation is that we can focus on the new, and not live so much in the past, but we do always want to trace back our lineage. We do have an internal wiki that details how characters react to certain events and that sort of thing.

Bonnie Jean: We're creating new lore in our universe all the time. One of the cool things about Gears 5 is that we worked hard to add layers of previous games into the world around you. When you're traversing some of the icy areas or the desert areas, you're coming across parts of Sera that have never been explored in the games, but have been referenced previously throughout the canon.

Now we're actually going to create these areas as living civilizations. We have collectibles and we have assets in the environments that tell the story of the world that came before all the wars. We're creating more lore, but we still want to leave enough wiggle room so that we can build new stories off from what we're establishing in the games.

Jez: Could there be a game set during the Pendulum Wars one day?

Rod: We have talked about that. For the past 13 years, the defining thing we've always thought of in Gears is the monster. And so a human-on-human war, UIR vs. COG, felt a little too... There are many other games out there that have human-on-human war. We like the idea that you get empowered to overcome your demons. The Locust sort of represent the boogeyman under your bed, they crawl up from underground out of the darkness. Using a chainsaw to dispel the boogeyman felt empowering.

Jez: To wrap up, is what we're seeing with Gears 5, experimenting with open-world gameplay, RPG mechanics, the sort of innovation fans should expect from the franchise moving forward?

Rod: Absolutely. That's exactly what we want to do is continue to push. We want to bring in elements that we think are interesting, so I think as people embrace them, or not, then that'll inform where we push Gears of War forward. The longer a franchise persists, the more pressure there is to stay current and modern. You don't want to see version 12 of the game and think that it's the same old, same old. We know that "five" is a decent-sized number, a decent time to make it feel fresh again, and challenge expectations.

Challenging expectations

In my Gears 5 hands-on time with the campaign, I discovered a Gears game trying to break out of its shell and grow into a more contemporary, far more ambitious title. As awesome as Gears 5 seems, I'm more excited than ever already for Gears 6, 7, and 8, convinced that The Coalition isn't just playing it safe anymore. Gears could sit up with Halo in the big leagues some day, while also helping restore Xbox Game Studios' image for quality, which has taken a slip in recent years. Thanks a ton to Rod and Bonnie Jean for fielding our questions!

Gears 5 launches on September 10, 2019, for Xbox One and Windows PC.

Gears POP! recently saw its mobile debut, putting an adorable spin on Microsoft's third-person shooter franchise. With the fifth Xbox One installment two weeks from launch, the series' free-to-play spinoff fuses its burly cast with Funko's lovable vinyl figures, wrapped in gameplay comparable to Clash Royale.

Embracing traits of collectible card, tower defense, and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, Gears POP! sees players assemble a roster of units, and battle in multiplayer matches. The on-the-go experience supports itself with microtransactions, a common hallmark of the mobile market, allowing players to purchase randomized loot boxes and currencies for an in-game advantage.

Gears POP! has officially launched but a nasty bug is now reportedly leaving some users out of pocket. We're seeing multiple reports of broken microtransactions across the app, mischarging users and failing to deliver purchased items.

One Gears POP! user took to Twitter outlining his experience, purchasing the "Welcome Bundle," followed by an on-screen error. Reviewing his Microsoft account reportedly found three erroneous charges, with the paid items failing to display in-game. We're also seeing similar reports, where users are unable to see their purchased content.

We're yet to see a formal acknowledgment of the issue and reached out to Microsoft for a statement. Until communicating a fix, we recommend avoiding Gears POP! microtransactions, if at the risk of losing purchases.

In the meantime, Gears POP! is now available for free on iOS, Android, and Windows 10 PCs.

What you need to know

• Microsoft has dropped it latest mobile game Gears POP! for Windows 10, iOS and Android.
• The real-time multiplayer game pits players in real-time Gears of War battles with a lovable Funko POP theme.

Updated August 22, 2019: Updated to note the Windows 10 version is also now available.

With a highly anticipated fifth entry to the Gears of War franchise slated for next month, Microsoft has debuted Gears POP! for Windows 10, iOS and Android devices. The free-to-play mobile spin-off fuses the gritty third-person shooter with Funko's adorable vinyl figure lineup, among the latest of Xbox franchises exploring on-the-go experiences.

Gears POP! brings familiar faces for returning Gears of War fans, featuring iconic series characters in lovable figurine form. Players will assemble a roster of units for real-time player-versus-player battles, comparable to hit mobile games like Clash Royale. The app combines traits of collectible card, tower defense, and multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, suited up in the Gears universe.

Gears POP! is downloadable across Windows 10, iOS and Android devices, with Xbox Live integration serving multiplayer, achievements, and more. A healthy list of Xbox unlockables totaling 1000G has surfaced, alongside its own spin on the series' infamously challenging "Seriously" achievement.

Note that when you sign in to the Windows 10 version while also signed in to the mobile version, you'll get a message telling you that you're signed in on another device and you'll be signed out there. However, that doesn't actually appear to be the case. Both devices, at least for now, will remain signed in and sync progress.

Gears POP! is now free for download on Windows 10, iOS and Android via the links below.

What you need to know

• Gears 5 is an upcoming third-person shooter from Microsoft's The Coalition studio.
• Gears Pop! is a free-to-play tactical mobile game for Android, iOS, and Windows 10.
• Microsoft just revealed Gears Pop!'s Xbox Achievements.
• You can preorder Gears Pop!'s big brother, Gears 5, for $50 on Amazon.

At Gamescom 2019, Microsoft provided a number of new announcements and details about the Gears of War franchise. While Gears 5 is an upcoming third-person shooter from Microsoft's The Coalition studio, Gears Pop! is a mobile game that's a lot of fun.

Gears Pop! launches on August 22, so the wait won't be too long to get your hands on it. It's a free-to-play title so there's no risk in testing it out. Doing so will also net you some sweet, sweet Gamerscore. There are 45 Xbox Achievements in the game and they total to 1,000 Gamerscore. You can read about them below.

Be sure to check out Gears Pop! on August 22. The game is surprisingly deep and the microtransactions don't seem like they're pay-to-win, at least in our early impressions. You can even "preorder" the title, despite the fact that it's free, by searching for it on the Apple App and Google Play stores. It's also coming to Windows 10 with cross-save across all devices.

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PowerA Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox One ($20 at Amazon)

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What you need to know

• Gears Pop! brings the iconic series to mobile with real-time PvP action.
• It is in collaboration with Funko.
• Gears Pop! releases on August 22, 2019.

Well, it's not Gears 5 but Gears Pop! looks to be shaping up as a great title for mobile. It plays a bit like Plants vs Zombies "where Funko Pop! characters come to life to face each other in fun fast-paced explosive real-time multiplayer battles." Players take part in explosive real-time multiplayer matches that, despite lacking the blood and gore you may be used to, are still full of chaotic mayhem. Over 30 characters from the series are hopping over to mobile with Gears Pop!.

To prepare for its release, Inside Xbox revealed a new "Boomer Buddy" animated short at Gamescom 2019.

Gears Pop! releases for iOS and Android on August 22, 2019. You can pre-register today. It will be free to purchase upon launch, but it will feature microtransactions.

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