Paint a pit! Xbox recently announced the next title in the Gears of War series, Gears of War: E-Day. The upcoming prequel, which is described as the first in this series, Halo: Range or Rogue One: A Star Wars Storyis coming out in the near future, which means now is the perfect time to play through the Gears of War games in order.
The Gears of War series is set in a parallel universe on the planet Sera, which is similar to Earth but with a few peculiarities. After the 79-year-long Pendulum Wars between the human factions COG and UIR for control of Imulsion (a very valuable resource for energy and technological advancement), the Locust Horde emerged from Sera’s underground and wiped out a quarter of the planet’s human population. The games tell the story of what happened after Emergence Day, although E-Day, as the title suggests, takes us straight to the moment that changed everything on Sera.
The sci-fi franchise will soon be expanded with The film adaptation by Netflix also, which could be synchronized with the release of the new third-person shooter game if those in charge don’t encounter too many obstacles. Still, we wouldn’t be surprised if the long-awaited live-action project gets stuck in “movie limbo” again.
You can currently play all of the Gears games on Xbox (and the newer entries on PC too), and they’re all available through Xbox Game Pass. Whether you’re a returning fan or new to the series, it’s time to fire up the chainsaws and clear out the maggots. But with a ton of prequels and spin-offs, it can be difficult to know which games fit where in the timeline—that’s where our list of Gears of War games in order comes in.
If you’re in the mood for more space action, check out these legendary sci-fi FPS video game franchises you don’t want to miss: Borderland, haloAnd Half-life. Or take a break from all the carnage and best space settlement and try out the best space exploration games.
Light spoilers ahead (key story and world-building beats) for the entire Gears of War Franchise.
GEARS OF WAR GAMES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
- Gears of War: E-Day
- Gears of War: Verdict
- Gear tactics
- Gears of War
- Gears of War 2
- Gears of War 3
- Gears of War 4
- Gears 5
1. Gears of War: E-Day
- Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC
- Developer: The coalition
After a conflict lasting (roughly) millennia on the Earth-like planet Sera, humanity enters an era of peace and scientific advancement, culminating with the discovery of Imulsion, a natural substance that can be easily refined into an unprecedented energy source. This solves Sera’s energy crisis, but creates new divisions between the people and nations, some of whom have easier access to Imulsion than others. As a direct result, two warring factions form, the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) and a Union of Independent Republics (UIR).
The ensuing 79-year conflict is known as the Pendulum Wars, and cost each side countless lives and left them at a stalemate. At one point, the UIR develops the satellite-based weapon “Hammer of Dawn,” but a team of COG commandos led by Marcus Fenix, Dominic “Dom” Santiago, and Victor Hoffman steal the superweapon’s plans. Afterwards, the COG-controlled Hammer of Dawn destroys a key UIR military target, forcing a ceasefire between the COG and the UIR.
Six weeks later, however, the Locust Horde, a race of subterranean creatures never seen before (or so everyone thought), attacked human cities across Sera, wiping out 25% of Sera’s population in a single day. These hellish 26 hours are known as “Emergence Day” and are depicted in the upcoming Gears of War prequel.
2. Gears of War: Verdict
- Platforms: Xbox360
- Developer: People can fly, Epic Games
Gears of War: Judgment focuses on Baird and Cole, two key supporting characters in the main Gears of War games, during the early months of the Locust War. The story is told in flashbacks as Baird and his team recall events during a COG military hearing.
It was Baird and his team who used a light-mass missile to destroy the Locust forces occupying a key COG site. While Kilo Squad is court-martialed, the team is ultimately acquitted due to the resulting victory.
3. Gear tactics
- Platforms: PC, Xbox One/Series X/S
- Developer: Splash damage, The Coalition
Gears Tactics is a team-based strategy game inspired by the XCOM series. It is set approximately one year after the events of E-Day. Sergeant Gabriel Diaz (Kait’s father) and Major Sid Redburn are tasked with assassinating a key Locust figure, a scientist named Ukkon who may have discovered a way to gain regenerative powers.
Redburn reveals that he was in New Hope, a research base where the Locust – and Ukkon – were created as genetic experiments. Without giving away any more spoilers, Tactics is ultimately a key entry in the Gears canon, despite being in a very different genre than the main games.
4. Gears of War
- Platforms: PC, Xbox 360/One
- Developer: Epic Games, The Coalition (Ultimate Edition)
Gears of War, the very first Gears game, is set 14 years after E-Day. Marcus Fenix has been in prison for about four years and the COG forces are trying to organize a final offensive to destroy the Locust horde using a light bomb to be placed in their tunnels.
Marcus is reinstated into the COG army at the beginning of the game and joins forces with Dominic Santiago. After a while, he leads Delta Squad along with him and two other soldiers, Augustus Cole and Damon Baird, as they attempt to complete their seemingly suicidal mission.
5. Gears of War 2
- Platforms: Xbox360
- Developer: Epic Games
Set approximately six months after the Lightmass Offensive, Gears of War 2 follows Delta and a larger COG army as they attempt to stop the Locust from sinking the human city of Jacinto. After learning of the Locust’s origins in New Hope and their true nature, the COG attacks Mount Kadar, where the Locust capital of Nexus has been built.
It turns out that the Locust are waging their own underground war against a faction called the Lambent – Imulsion-infected organisms that drove the Locust out of the cave and into the surface world, and in Gears of War 2 they are portrayed as the final threat of the original trilogy.
6. Gears of War 3
- Platforms: Xbox360
- Developer: Epic Games
Three years after Jacinto was deliberately sunk by the COG to prevent the Locust from vacating their underground world, the remaining human population has settled on the island of Vectes, which was spared from the Locust War. However, the Lambent have begun to emerge.
Former COG Chairman Prescott returns with news of a targeted beam weapon being developed in secret with the help of Adam Fenix, Marcus’ father. This weapon can destroy both the Lambent and the Locust forever, and so begins the final battle against the remnants of the Locust and Lambent invasions.
7. Gears of War 4
- Platforms: PC, Xbox One
- Developer: The coalition
Gears of War 4 fast-forwards the Gears universe 25 years into the future, after humanity has won the war against Lambent and Locust. The new story follows JD Fenix (Marcus’ son), Kait Diaz, and Delmont Walker, a new trio of heroes affected by the Locust War in different ways. Older surviving characters from the original trilogy also play important roles as the story progresses.
The COG actively pursues the group for a time, believing them to be responsible for a series of kidnappings. It soon becomes clear that a new threat called the “Swarm” – Locust that have been “evolved” by the Imulsion countermeasure – is emerging and turning people into soldiers for a new army.
8. Gears 5
- Platforms: PC, Xbox One/Series X/S
- Developer: The coalition
Set just months after the events of Gears of War 4, Gears 5 follows the previously established characters, now from Kait’s perspective, as they attempt to fight the Swarm while also understanding Kait’s connection to the Locust and her (unwanted) place in the Swarm’s future.
Eventually, the conflict reaches New Ephyra, a major city where the COG attempts to fight off the swarm and kill Queen Reyna. Currently, the Gears timeline and overarching story have been put on hold at this point. However, the expansion-like DLC Hivebusters adds a bit of post-Ephyra action and we highly recommend it.
GEARS OF WAR GAMES IN RELEASE ORDER
- Gears of War (2006)
- Gears of War 2 (2008)
- Gears of War 3 (2011)
- Gears of War: Judgment (2013)
- Gears of War: Ultimate Edition (2015)
- Gears of War 4 (2016)
- Gears 5 (2019)
- Gears Tactics (2020)
- Gears of War: E-Day (to be announced)
