One of the most successful games of 2019 was Gears 5, a triumphant sequel that caps off the franchise's tumultuous Xbox One run. Gears 5 was so solid that most Xbox fans likely forgot that not only is it not the only Gears game currently in development, but also isn't the last Gears game this generation. The Xbox team used The Game Awards 2019 as an opportunity to remind players what they could look forward to, releasing a new Gears Tactics trailer and confirming the game's final release date.
Gears Tactics is an XCOM-inspired turn-based tactical game where the player controls a squad of COGs in the war against the Locust Horde. That's right, Gears Tactics is set well before the events of Gears 5 - of Gears of War, even. Where Gears of War takes place 14 years after the Locus Horde's emergence, Gears Tactics takes place just two years after. The new trailer shows exactly what players will be up against, including the Locust, Wretches, and even one or more giant Brumaks and a Corpser. The Berserker can't be far behind.
Perhaps most exciting about the trailer, however, is its promised game length. Gears Tactics won't be some simple experiment intended to tell a short story just to see whether fans are interested or not. The Xbox Game Studios devs are going all-in from the start. Gears Tactics will feature an impressive 40+ hour campaign. While the story of Gears Tactics hasn't been unveiled yet, players can at least feel secure in knowing it takes place after the Chainsaw Bayonet was invented.
The new Gears Tactics trailer also confirmes the game's release date. Xbox is dead set on ensuring Gears Tactics comes out before the next generation of Xbox consoles arrives, to help fill out this final year of Xbox One games. Gears fans can pick Gears Tactics up starting April 28, 2020.
Gears Tactics was announced as part of a trio of Gears games during E3 2018. The trio included Gears 5, Gears Tactics, and the oddball Gears POP title. Both Gears5 and Gears POP are already available, with Gears Tactics covering the rear. With the release of Gears Tactics in 2020, it'll open the door for the next era of Gears to follow, which The Coalition is likely already hard at work on. It may be several years away given Gears 5's recent launch, but clearly Gears has big plans for the future.
Gears Tactics releases on PC and Xbox One on April 28, 2020.
