Summary
- Gears of War: Reloaded focuses on remastering the first game with enhancements like 4K resolution and 60 FPS.
- The release timing of Gears of War: Reloaded may overshadow Gears of War: E-Day.
- The success of Oblivion Remastered sets a high standard, making Gears of War: Reloaded potentially less appealing.
After countless rumors and leaks of a Gears of War remaster or remake, Gears of War: Reloaded has finally shown itself, offering players a chance to experience the original game on modern consoles and PC. Speculation surrounding the remaster initially assumed it would be either a remaster or a remake of the entire Gears of War trilogy, similar to Halo: The Master Chief Collection. However, Gears of War: Reloaded focuses solely on the first game, albeit with enhancements like 4K resolution, 60 FPS in the campaign, up to 120 FPS in multiplayer, and the inclusion of all previously released content.
Unfortunately, while this might be exciting news for some fans — especially ahead of the release of Gears of War: E-Day — Gears of War: Reloaded picked an interesting time to arrive on the scene, given the reality of what it is. Firstly, rather than being a remake, Gears of War: Reloaded is simply a remaster, and, not to mention, a remaster of a game that has already been remastered before. Secondly, Gears of War: Reloaded might not only have trouble coming in on the heels of the hugely successful The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, but its arrival could also undermine Gears of War: E-Day's release date, making it either too early on stage or too late to the party.
Gears of War: Reloaded's Announcement Hurts One Halo Rumor But Strengthens Another
The announcement of Gears of War: Reloaded, the first multi-platform entry in the GoW franchise, makes one Halo rumor look more unlikely.
Gears of War: Reloaded's Launch May Come at a Bad Time
Gears of War: Reloaded Could Undermine Gears of War: E-Day's Release Date
With the highly anticipated Gears of War: E-Day on the horizon, it would be natural to suspect Gears of War: Reloaded as being a sign of E-Day's impending release. After all, it's possible that The Coalition is choosing to launch Gears of War: Reloaded in an effort to build hype for Gears of War: E-Day. However, it could also signal bad news for fans who have been awaiting E-Day's arrival, especially if they expected it to launch this year.
Rather than being a remake, Gears of War: Reloaded is simply a remaster, and, not to mention, a remaster of a game that has already been remastered before.
On the one hand, the launch of Gears of War: Reloaded on August 26 could mean that Gears of War: E-Day will follow it soon after, possibly sometime in the fall. On the other hand, Gears of War: Reloaded's summer launch could be a way for The Coalition to tide fans over a bit longer, and Gears of War: E-Day isn't slated for launch until at least 2026. Both routes make sense, but the latter, which sees Gears of War: E-Day launching later than some fans might expect, would be bad news. In that case, Gears of War: Reloaded would be launching "too early."
Oblivion Remastered Could Make Gears of War: Reloaded Less Appealing
Gears of War: Reloaded might also prove to arrive "too late," as The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered has now arguably set a new standard for video game remasters. Oblivion Remastered has been called a "remake," simply because it is such an extensive overhaul of the original game's visuals and an improvement of several gameplay mechanics that it's difficult to justify merely calling it a "remaster." Nevertheless, Oblivion Remastered is indeed a remaster, but that hasn't stopped it from setting the tone for future remasters.
Oblivion and Gears of War are the same age, having both launched in 2006, meaning Gears of War: Reloaded could have given the original game the same treatment that Oblivion Remastered gave its own if it wanted to. That's what complicates things.
As such, given the fact that Gears of War: Reloaded is not only a remaster of a game that has already been remastered but also that it isn't even close to being the kind of upgrade that Oblivion Remastered is, critical comparisons might actually be warranted. Gears of War and Oblivion are two entirely different games, yes, but the bar has been raised by Oblivion Remastered for what remasters are capable of and should strive to achieve. In the end, this could make Gears of War: Reloaded less appealing, as it might be arriving a bit "too late" to achieve success.
Gears of War: Reloaded
- Released
- August 26, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- The Coalition
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action, Third-Person Shooter, War & Military
