Gears of War
Series of third person shooter games with excellent story-heavy singleplayer/co-op campaigns.
Development of the first trilogy was lead by Cliff Bleszinski, previously known for Unreal and Unreal Tournament series.
Xbox Series is the only platform compatible with every game of the series. As of Q1 2025, you need an Xbox360 (or newer) Console to play all mainline games of the series, since multiple games were never released on PC. Remasters of GoW 2 and 3 for PC were announced, to be released in late 2025. "Judgment" was considered a commercial failure, so i don't expect it to be remastered in the near future. There was no clear announcement, but Xbox Studios hinted at remastered trilogy and E-Day games coming to PS5.
| Game | Xbox 360 | Xbox One | Xbox Series | PC | PS5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gears of War 1 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | TBA |
| Gears of War 2 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | WIP | TBA |
| Gears of War 3 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | WIP | TBA |
| Gears of War: Judgment | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Gears of War 4 | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Gears 5 | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Gears of War: E-Day | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | TBA |
Xbox Game Pass is the most cost-efficient way if your goal is to enjoy all the story of singleplayer/co-op campaigns.
It seems to be undocumented feature, but it's possible to play co-op on 2x PCs with just one Game Pass subscription. Log into Xbox app with the account having active Game Pass subscription to install and run games for the first time, then close the game and let Player 2 log into Xbox app. He can then run the game and join a co-op squad hosted by Game Pass holding account. Exception is DLC content - it will trigger extra DRM verification and kick out players who don't have proof of ownership.
The FULL Gears Of War Timeline...So Far | Before & After E-Day | Gears Lore - YouTube (MAJOR SPOILERS!)
Gears of War (1)
Playable on PC, Xbox Series and Xbox One, Ultimate Edition is the way to play the first game of the series. It has graphics and soundtrack remastered, several cutscenes were completely overhauled, and alternative ending has been implemented to tease the following games of the series.
Split-screen co-op is not available on PC, it's a feature exclusive to console version.
The original Xbox360 release is compatible with Xbox Series and Xbox One consoles with FPS boost, but if you're set to play the entire series - there's no reason to choose this edition over Ultimate.
Behind the scenes documentary: Making of - Gears of War (2006) [Behind the Scenes]
Gears of War 2
This game is Xbox360 exclusive, also compatible with Xbox Series and Xbox One with FPS boost. Xbox One X and Xbox Series X run the game in 4K. Remaster for PC was announced, to be released in late 2025.
Split-screen on Console allows each player to log into separate Xbox Account, collecting achievements separately. There's a known issue with launching split-screen co-op on Xbox One. Log into two accounts in Xbox One Dashboard, then launch the game, press View and Menu buttons simultaneously to present Xbox 360 dashboard and select Xbox Live account for Player 2.
"Road to Ruin" DLC (aka "Deleted scene") is free but needs to be "Purchased" and installed separately via Windows Store as "Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection" if you're playing on Xbox One.
Behind the scenes documentaries:
- Gears of War 2 - Beneath The Surface Epic Games Official Documentary
- Gears of War 2 - Making of Game Development with Epic Games Official Documentary
Gears of War 3
This game is Xbox360 exclusive, also compatible with Xbox Series and Xbox One with FPS boost. Xbox One X and Xbox Series X run the game in 4K. Remaster for PC was announced, to be released in late 2025.
Split-screen on Console allows each player to log into separate Xbox Account, collecting achievements separately.
"RAAM's Shadow" DLC is extra content set in GoW universe. It's not included in Game Pass and needs to be purchased separately as "RAAM's Shadow: Pack 2" in Windows Store on Xbox One. It's notable for opportunity to play some missions as enemy faction, with first player controlling RAAM, and other players controlling Locust Elites.
Gears of War: Judgment
This game is Xbox360 exclusive, also compatible with Xbox Series and Xbox One.
The story of this game is related to first trilogy of mainline games, but is extra content to be played after Gears of War 3.
Gameplay-wise, this game is also slightly different from mainline games, being a collection of loosely-connected short missions with optional extra challenge ("Declassified Missions").
After collecting enough stars in the main campaign, an extra chapter "Aftermath" is unlocked, which is a more traditional Gears experience, and story-wise is an alternative view on events of Gears of War 3 campaign.
Gears of War 4
Playable on PC, Xbox Series and Xbox One. Xbox One X and Xbox Series X run the game in 4K with HDR.
Split-screen on PC is available, but both players will share the same Xbox account. If each player wants to earn their own achievements - play on Xbox Console, or two PCs/Consoles.
Gears 5
Playable on PC, Xbox Series and Xbox One.
Besides Game Pass, Gears 5 can also be purchased on Steam. Cross-play and cross-save between all platforms and storefronts is implemented via Microsoft/Xbox Account.
Split-screen on PC is available, but all players will share the same Xbox account. If each player wants to earn their own achievements - play on Xbox Console, or two/three PCs/Consoles.
"Hivebusters" DLC is extra content set in GoW universe, but still a fun short co-op campaign. To play Hivebusters DLC, all players in the squad must have active Game Pass, or DLC purchased. Attempting to share one Game Pass subscription results in squad being disbanded immediately after joining. Alternatively, play in split-screen mode.
Gears of War: E-Day
The 6th mainline game was announced, rumored to be released in 2026 for PC and Xbox Series.