Anyone who plays Gears Tactics when it launches on Xbox consoles in November will be rewarded with a free multiplayer skin in Gears 5 in the form of the tactical squad shooter's protagonist Gabe Diaz. The well-received spin-off was originally released in April for PC, with an Xbox console release date coming alongside the arrival of the Xbox Series X/S.
If franchise fans continue to rightfully continue to pretend that Gears Pop! never existed, Gears Tactics is the first proper spin-off in the Gears of War series that switches up the genre from its usual third-person shooter trappings. Taking heavy inspiration from XCOM, it's a turn-based strategy game that sees players battling against enemies while trying to find cover and upgrade their squad of troops between the events of Gears of War: Judgment and players' grim introduction to Marcus Fenix in the original Gears of War. Despite the change in focus, the game receieved widespread praise for its gameplay and high-quality presentation.
Gears Tactics developer Splash Damage has revealed that anyone who plays the game will get a special character in Gears 5. The turn-based strategy title is coming to Xbox consoles on November 10 alongside the launch of the Xbox Series X/S. It will also include a host of new content as part of a major update, which includes new Deviant enemies and the addition of Jack along with extra weapons and gear. Anyone who plays through the Gears Tactics tutorial will also get access to the Gabe Diaz skin in Gears 5 on November 17. The character will then be playable in multiplayer matches.
Microsoft and Splash Damage confirmed that Gears Tactics will be a launch title for the Xbox Series X/S in November, with the PC port previously being available since April of this year. As a first-party game, it will also be available on Xbox Game Pass for subscribers, meaning they won't have to pay the $59.99 price tag. More recently, the developer also announced that a collection of extra content will come to the game as part of a major update to coincide with its next-gen release. This will include the robot companion Jack, who will be playable in the campaign as a squad member.
Considering the fact that Halo: Infinite has been delayed into 2021, Microsoft will be looking to the Gears of War franchise to be a big factor in helping to make the Xbox Series X/S successful over the holiday period. Adding extra incentive to playing both Gears 5 and Gears of War while updating the turn-based strategy with extra content should entice some players to give the next-gen console version of the game a try. With Gabe Diaz also being requested by fans since his introduction in Gears Tactics, it makes sense to include him as a skin to Gears 5.
Gears Tactics is available now on PC, and it launches on Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One on November 10, 2020.
Source: Splash Damage