Skip to main content

Even more Ultimate – Gears of War: Ultimate Edition includes the entire series

Gears of War Ultimate Edition
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition just got even more Ultimate: by playing this fall when it launches, you will also unlock access to the entire Gear of War collection through the Xbox One’s upcoming Backward Compatibility, according to a post on the Xbox wire. Fans who purchase the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition — either by itself, or as part of the Xbox One bundle — and play between August 25 (when it launches) and December 31, 2015 will gain access to Gears of WarGears of War 2, Gears of War 3, and Gears of War: Judgment through Backward Compatibility when it launches in the fall.

That’s all in addition to the Ultimate Edition itself, which remasters the original game, “painstakingly reimagined from the ground up with stunning next-gen graphics, recaptured and rebuilt cinematics, new achievements and modernized gameplay for an even better experience.” It also adds new maps, modes, missions, and achievements; an additional difficulty level to challenge veterans of the game; and early access to the multiplayer beta for the upcoming sequel, Gears of War 4, which was also revealed during Microsoft’s E3 presentation this past June.

Backward Compatibility to the Xbox 360, a long-requested feature for the Xbox One, was also announced at E3 2015. A growing body of Xbox 360 games will be playable on the Xbox One with the addition of new console features such as Game DVR, Snap, and screenshots. DLC, achievements, and cloud saves will all carry over.

The entire Gears of War series will be eligible for Backward Compatibility when the feature launches publicly this coming fall. The original Gears of War is currently available in the feature’s trial for Xbox One Preview Program members, if you just can’t wait.

First created by Epic Games in 2006, the Gears of War franchise of third-person shooters set the bar for over-the-shoulder action on the last few generations of consoles. The action relies heavily on strategic use of cover, leading to a proliferation of battlefields strewn with chest-high walls in shooters. Microsoft purchased the franchise from Epic in 2014, handing development over to its studio The Coalition (formerly Black Tusk Studios, formerly Microsoft Vancouver).

Editors' Recommendations

Will Fulton
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…
Inside Xbox reveals big changes to Gears 5 Horde Mode at Gamescom 2019
gears 5 no smoking

Microsoft's Inside Xbox presentation at Gamescom 2019 brought plenty of exciting Gears 5 content for fans who just can't wait a few more weeks for the official launch. Horde mode makes a return in the latest game, and it's shaping up to be even more dynamic and exciting than it was in the past.

Horde mode includes the same general premise it had in past games -- defend yourself against waves of enemies without dying -- but it has been altered in a few ways to encourage more aggressive and agile play-styles. Instead of picking a set base for defending, you now can capture "power taps" that open up over the course of a match. This means you'll have to move around the map routinely, and fortify numerous areas instead of just one. The currency Power has also been changed so it will distribute evenly to your other cooperative partners. Up to five people can play Horde together.

Read more
Gears 5 Escape hands-on: If the entire game is this good, get hyped
e3 2019 gears 5 escape mode modernizes the microsoft franchise screenshot

Gears 5 - E3 2019 - Escape Announce

The original Gears of War blew me away. It was a quantum leap for third person shooters. 13 years and four entries later, Gears of War is still one of Microsoft's marquee franchises -- but the last two entries seriously underwhelmed.

Read more
Gears of War 5 Escape mode revealed at Xbox E3 briefing, release date set
Gears of War 5 escape game mode release date Xbox One briefing E3 2019

Gears of War 5 shared the spotlight with a plethora of games at the Xbox briefing for E3 2019 and a release date has finally been set in stone: September 10. Alongside this reveal, Microsoft shared a new multiplayer game mode called Escape and teased some upcoming dates where players will be able to try out the new game.

After a short teaser, an intense cinematic trailer for Gears of War 5 was used to introduce one of the game’s new upcoming modes: Escape. One of Gears of Wars’ premier multiplayer experiences is teaming up to take on waves of enemies, and the new mode puts a spin on it by giving players an object beyond just surviving. Escape is a three-player challenge where players must infiltrate a hive, plant a bomb, and escape before being overrun.

Read more