Gears 5: Release, gameplay, game modes & all info on the shooter

In our guide to the fifth part of the Gears of War series, you'll learn what Gears 5 is all about:

• what Gears 5 is about
• how the gameplay of Gears 5 looks like
• which changes there are in the new part
• when the release of Gears 5 is coming up

What is Gears 5?

Gears 5 is the fifth installment in the Gears of War series. This began in 2006 exclusively on the Xbox 360. The current fourth part, , appeared in 2016 for and . Among fans, the series has long been called simply "Gears", which the developers officially adopt with the title of the new part.

The central conflict in Gears is about the struggle between humans and creatures called Locust on the planet Sera. The Locust have dug deep tunnel systems under the earth and built a second civilization. While the humans fight each other for dominance of the planet, the Locust break through the surface and attack humanity

The Locust push the weakened humans to the brink of their destruction. Only the elite unit called Gears of War can still turn the tide. The protagonist of the first game and most famous character of the series is Marcus Fenix. He also makes his appearance in the fifth part

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But the main character of Gears 5 is Kait Diaz. She grew up in an outsider village with her mother. The Locust are defeated, but a new enemy, the Swarm, is attacking humanity. This one seems to be an evolution of the Locust. Together with James Fenix, the son of Marcus Fenix, and Del Walker, she must save the world from its doom

Kait Diaz, however, has a secret. She fights alongside the humans, but feels a special connection to the swarm. She often sees visions of the enemy and doesn't know which side she's really on. In Gears 5, she will have to face her past and decide whether she belongs to the humans or the swarm

What does the gameplay look like?

Gears 5 is a third-person shooter series. The games are especially known for their characters, as they wear heavy suits and control themselves accordingly. So instead of agile heroes, you play bulky characters here and can literally feel their weight

Equally familiar is the standard weapon called the Lancer. This machine gun is also a chainsaw, which can cut up enemies particularly brutally. The typical Gears gameplay also includes cover. The series was one of the first shooters to combine cover, shooting and melee kills with the Lancer rifle.

Gears 5's campaign can be played with up to three players online or offline in split-screen. Besides the more than ten competitive Versus modes like Deathmatch or Team Deathmatch, the cooperative Horde mode is especially popular. Here you have to survive waves of enemies with up to four other players. To succeed, you can place traps, upgrade your equipment, and must act as a team

What's new/different?

The mode called escape is new. In this three-player co-op mode, you'll have to fight your way through enemy terrain and escape by helicopter. Unlike Horde, the enemies won't come to you, but you'll have to maneuver through the map to find new weapons and ammunition. Your goal is to place a bomb to weaken the swarm severely

The mode is reminiscent of the classic Left 4 Dead or the zombie mode from and the developers promise a crisp difficulty level. The map editor, with which you can create your own maps and share them with other players, is supposed to provide an infinite number of escape maps. Also announced is -LC. This brings the characters T-800 and Sarah Connor from the upcoming movie Terminator: Dark Fate into the game

Especially nice: The developers are doing away with all lootboxes for Gears 5. There will also be no Season Pass and all skins can be purchased separately. You can read more about this here.

When will Gears 5 be released?

Gears 5 will be released on September 10 for PC and Xbox One in stores and as part of the Game Pass program.

Will there be a Battle Royale mode?

There have been rumors about a Battle Royale mode in Gears 5 for quite some time, but according to the developers, it is not planned at this point. However, since the mode is particularly popular and games like Fallout 76 also receive Battle Royale updates, the chances are still good in the future.

How can I try out Gears 5 before the release?

Those who pre-order Gears 5 or have an active Game Pass subscription can play the beta starting July 17. Are you at gamescom in August? Then you can look forward to a demo of the Horde mode on site

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