Microsoft is officially bringing one of its most well-known franchises to the PlayStation 5. On Monday, the company announced it will release a remastered version of the original Gears of War, called Gears of War: Reloaded, on Xbox Series X/S, PC and PlayStation 5 on Aug. 26 for $40. Game Pass Ultimate ($20 a month) and PC Game Pass ($12 a month) subscribers will also be able to access the game on Day 1.
“Gears of War: Reloaded is a celebration of one of gaming’s most iconic franchises,” the company wrote online. “With cross-play across all platforms, you and your friends can squad up no matter where you play — no Microsoft account required.”
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The game will have two-player local and online co-op for the campaign, and multiplayer matches with up to eight players. That means Xbox, PlayStation and PC gamers can come together and chainsaw some grubs together, the way it was always meant to be.
This game will bring all content in the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition and all post-launch downloadable content. That includes a bonus campaign act, every multiplayer map and mode, plus characters and cosmetics unlocked through progression.
If you already own a digital version of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, Microsoft is offering you a free upgrade to the new remastered edition. You must have purchased that version of the game prior to 11 a.m. EST on May 5. If you did, Microsoft will send your Xbox account a direct message with a digital code for Gears of War: Reloaded before the game’s launch in August.
Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad are back.
Microsoft launched Gears of War almost 20 years ago in 2006, and it has spawned sequels, spinoffs and books. Now, Microsoft is bringing the first game of this successful franchise to PlayStation as the company pushes to bring its first-party games catalogue to other consoles. But this isn’t the first franchise the company has brought to other platforms.
In January, Microsoft announced it was bringing its Forza Horizon 5 to PlayStation, and you can play the game on that platform now. Forza Horizon 5 marked the first game developed by a studio that had released games only on Xbox to cross over to PlayStation.
Microsoft also confirmed in 2024 that it would bring other games, such as Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment, to other platforms, such as PlayStation and the Nintendo Switch.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said on the Gamertag Radio podcast in January that the company also planned on bringing games to the Nintendo Switch 2 when it launches in June.
“The difference that we’ve seen in the last 20 years is that it’s games first, not platform first,” he said.
For more on Xbox, check out other games available on Game Pass Ultimate now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you.
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