What year is it? Judging by the state of the gaming industry, you might be led to believe that it’s 2006. That’s due to Oblivion making a comeback, and now, Gears of War: Reloaded, a reimagining of the classic Xbox title, is set to take up even more of your time, with one major difference – it’s coming to PlayStation.
Microsoft is eschewing the ‘remaster in secret’ practice that made Oblivion such a smashing success, instead announcing a short wait until 26 August 2025. It has, however, stuck with a cheaper price tag of $40 that’ll apply to all consoles, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Xbox didn’t mention the Switch 2—yet.
Grinding the Gears of War
It may feel like 2006 again, but only in spirit. In reality, consoles, controllers, and games cost much more than they did back then, not to mention the obvious lack of effort accompanying new releases. It’s nice to see Microsoft claw back some of that goodwill with what promises to be a solid remake or remaster (Xbox didn’t say which) of Marcus Fenix’s story.
Better yet, subscribers to either Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass will have access to Gears of War: Reloaded when it launches on 26 August at no extra cost. Or, if you already own a digital copy of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, Microsoft will upgrade that to Reloaded – assuming you purchased the game before 5 May, 18h00.
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The game features the “full breadth of content from the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition,” and promises “players will gain immediate access to all post-launch downloadable content at no additional cost.” That includes “the bonus Campaign act, all multiplayer maps and modes, and a full roster of classic characters and cosmetics unlockable through progression.”
Gears of War: Reloaded brings technical upgrades, including 4K res, VRR, and HDR, with fully remastered textures, better shadows, and apparently, no loading screens during the campaign. Expect 120fps while playing multiplayer, and a 60fps cap during the campaign. It’s all co-op, too. Two players can blast their way through the campaign, cross-platform, while ‘Versus Multiplayer’ mode allows up to 8 players at once.
