In a move that would’ve seemed about as likely as Master Chief showing up in Super Smash Bros., Gears of War is officially coming to PlayStation. Yes, the same Gears of War—chainsaw bayonets, gravel-throated dialogue, testosterone at critical mass—is landing on PS5 for the first time ever. The remastered edition, titled Gears of War: Reloaded, drops on August 26 and marks a rare moment where the words “Gears” and “PlayStation” appear in the same sentence without causing a console war in the comments section.
This isn’t a brand-new entry but a souped-up re-release of the original 2006 game, complete with modern technical bells and whistles: 4K HDR visuals, buttery 60 fps for campaign, 120 fps in multiplayer, Dolby Atmos, and—according to Microsoft—absolutely no loading screens. We’ll believe that last one when we’re not stuck staring at a door that won’t open until the voice line finishes.
The remaster will also be available on Xbox Series X/S, PC (via Xbox app and Steam), and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on day one. As for Nintendo Switch 2? Well, Marcus Fenix hasn’t figured out how to fit his shoulder pads onto a Joy-Con yet, so maybe later.
For $40, you get the full campaign (including a bonus act), all previously released DLC, and access to the full multiplayer suite with cross-play across platforms. Whether you’re on Xbox, PlayStation, or PC, you’ll be able to chainsaw your way through the Locust with up to seven other players. Cross-progression is also a thing—provided you sign in with a Microsoft account—so if you’re feeling chaotic, you can start on PS5 and finish the fight on your phone while pretending to work.
And yes, local split-screen co-op is still alive and kicking, proving that someone, somewhere still cares about couch gaming.
Gears of War: Reloaded was handled by The Coalition—Xbox’s in-house Gears caretakers—alongside Sumo Interactive and Disbelief. It’s basically a graphical face-lift with a side of legacy preservation, meant to hold fans over until Gears of War: E-Day, the next installment teased last summer and still floating in TBD limbo. That one’s being co-developed with Outriders studio People Can Fly, which probably explains why it looks like it’ll punch you in the face emotionally and literally.
As platform lines continue to blur and first-party mascots start packing their bags for rival consoles, Gears of War making the jump to PS5 is less about brand betrayal and more about practical math: more players, more revenue, fewer memes about exclusivity.
