by Zoë Curnoe, Production Director, The Coalition In the past month, Gears 5 released the Xbox Series X|S update, which relaunched the game with next-gen technical optimizations for new consoles and new campaign features, and followed up with the largest multiplayer update ever, Operation 5: Hollow Storm. Today, to cap off this holiday’s re-release, we’re announcing the Gears 5: Hivebusters campaign expansion, coming Wednesday, December 16, 2020 to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or available for AU$29.95 and NZ$39.95 pre-purchase from the Microsoft digital store. Gears 5: Hivebusters Expansion In the new expansion, play as Lahni, Keegan and Mac – the heroes introduced in Gears 5’s Escape mode – in their first mission as part of the secretive Hivebuster program. Thrown together and dubbed “Scorpio Squad,” their suicide mission to destroy a Swarm hive may hold the key to saving Sera and their own redemption. Enjoy a new, 3-hour ...

Today, The Coalition will release Operation 2: Free for All. Operations are free quarterly, multiplayer updates that introduce new ways to play Gears 5. Operation 2: Free for All adds four new characters, three game types, five maps, a new Versus season and a brand-new Tour of Duty full of earnable content. Heroes and Villains Lizzie Carmine and Damon Baird join the fight, facing off against Jermad and the original Locust Drone in Gears 5 multiplayer. In Arcade, each character is bolstered by a passive ability and a weapon selection tree designed to suit a new fighting style. In both Horde and Escape, each Hero possesses a unique ultimate ability. Lizzie can summon the mighty Silverback and Baird can deploy a fearsome DR-1 bodyguard to protect him when the going gets tough. Each Hero or Villain can be earned by playing or can be purchased via the in-game store for 500 Iron. Operation ...

This week, gamers around the world join The Coalition on the frontline as they struggle to defend Sera from the encroaching Swarm in Gears 5. To ensure Radeon gamers are equipped with the most effective weapons in their arsenal, The Coalition worked closely with AMD throughout development to create a visceral experience with high-quality PC performance and breathtaking visuals. What’s more, Gears 5 is optimized for the all-new AMD RDNA gaming architecture and takes advantage of many exciting Radeon features: AMD FidelityFX – A post-launch update will add support for AMD FidelityFX, providing a dynamic sharpening filter that draws out detail in low-contrast areas. It delivers significant improvement in image clarity, counteracting the softening caused by other post-process effects. Radeon FreeSync Technology – PC gamers can take advantage of AMD’s adaptive sync technology, supported by over 750 certified displays to drive fluid, tear- and artifact-free gaming. Asynchronous Compute – A ...

Razer today announced the launch of two exclusive lines of Gears of War-branded peripherals for PC and Xbox One. The Razer Gears 5 Edition includes the Turret for Xbox One wireless keyboard and mouse, the Thresher for Xbox One wireless headset, the Huntsman keyboard, the Mamba Wireless mouse, and the Goliathus Extended Chroma mouse mat. A ll peripherals feature exclusive licensed branding, colourway and come with unique cosmetic in-game items for use in Gears 5 multiplayer. Xbox One Line: The Razer Turret for Xbox One – Gears 5 Edition The Razer Turret is the world’s first wireless keyboard and mouse designed for Xbox One with a built-in mouse mat. Bonus DLC includes: Lancer Skin and Mark. For more information on the Razer Turret for Xbox One, please go here. The Razer Thresher for Xbox ...

As gamers around Australia prepare to lift their Lancers for the launch of Gears 5, Xbox ANZ has revealed an exclusive range of bespoke unisex jewellery inspired by the iconography of the fan-favourite franchise. Crafted by fire and cast in ice-cold silver, Australian designer, Jason Moss, took inspiration from the mysterious Locust necklace owned by Gears 5’s lead protagonist, Kait Diaz, to create a limited edition ring and pendent design that any COG would be proud to wear. Most famous for his custom creations, some of the world’s most recognized celebrities wear Moss’ work, including recent Rolling Stones cover artist, Harry Styles. Designed in his trademark style, these handmade creations reflect the visual themes of the fire and ice locales from the game while leaning into the aesthetic of one of gaming’s most acclaimed sagas. The pendant pays homage to the iconic Gears COG tag and the trials and tribulations faced by ...

Tonight Gears Ink will take to the streets of Melbourne to bring to life the unique culture of the Gears universe. Featuring some of the world’s best tattoo artists, barbers and brewers, the festival will celebrate 13 years of the fan-favourite franchise with bespoke creations and experiences for local fans. Couldn’t get tickets to Gears Ink? Don’t stress! Watch Gears fans be forever ‘Bound by Blood’ (and Ink) on the livestream, from 7:00-9:00pm AEST Thursday September 5 on Xbox ANZ’s Twitter, Mixer and Facebook channels. Xbox ANZ’s livestream will include an interview with The Coalition’s very own Colin Penty, Studio Technical Art Director for Gears 5, as well as showcasing Gears 5 gameplay – including all new Horde, Versus, Escape and Campaign modes. Join the stream to immerse yourself in the outlaw culture of Sera, watching along as fans have the cult title shaved into their fades from ...

With Gears 5 launching on September 10, AMD wanted to share the latest update to highlight the incredible visual fidelity and performance AMD Radeon technologies offer gamers as they head to the frontlines to take down the Swarm. The Coalition worked closely with AMD throughout the development of Gears 5 to give gamers the best possible experience. Gears 5 is optimized for DX 12 and Radeon graphics cards, including the ones based on the new AMD RDNA gaming architecture, to deliver breathtaking visuals, amazing performance, and exciting Radeon features, including: Asynchronous Compute – Allows Radeon GPUs to execute multiple tasks at the same time. This GPU multi-threading capability enables efficient graphics and visual effects workload distribution, resulting in higher framerates. Multithreaded Command Buffering – Ensures instructions from an AMD Ryzen processor reach the Radeon graphics card faster for higher performance, better graphics and reduced latency. AMD FidelityFX (coming soon) – In a post-launch update, ...

Tattoos are a long-held tradition in the Gears of War world; from the famous Marcus Fenix tattoo in the game world, to the thousands of Crimson Omens, Lancers and COG tags out in the real world, Xbox are constantly inspired, awed and humbled by the culture of permanent art their fans create. Even more remarkable than the tattoos are “the stories they tell”; of devotion not just to the game but to family, friendships, memories and even marriages of people who met while playing online. This year, to honor their fans and celebrating the launch of Gears 5, they’re commemorating that meaning by bringing Gears Ink to their fans. Gears Ink events will pop-up for one night only in LA, London, Berlin, Paris, Mexico City and Melbourne between September 4 and September 6. Fans in each city are invited to attend or tune in via a series of Xbox ...

With Early Access beginning a month from today you don’t have long to wait to get your hands on the biggest Gears ever. To celebrate, we’re excited to announce a suite of custom Gears 5 hardware, including a stunning Limited-Edition Xbox One X console and controller; a headset, wireless keyboard and mouse from Razer (for console and PC); and external hard drives from Seagate. Featuring the Omen submerged in ice and snow, the Xbox One X Gears 5 Limited Edition Bundle ($AU649) – the first Limited Edition Xbox One X since the Project Scorpio Edition – is designed by The Coalition and the Xbox Industrial Design Team. Available for preorder today at participating retailers worldwide, including Microsoft Store, the Xbox One X Gears 5 Limited Edition console features a never-before-seen dark translucent casing and laser-etched cracks across the console’s icy top surface, with snow drifting across a golden Locust symbol ...