Last week, the official Gears of War Twitter account shared an image of someone holding loose COG tags. Immediately, speculation started to spread online that The Coalition was teasing a Gears of War 2 remaster, and the idea seemed to spark a lot of excitement in the community. And while game studios typically avoid commenting on rumors or speculation, The Coalition made it a point to debunk the rumors that it was teasing a Gears of War 2 remaster.
As it turns out, the image in question was actually a tease for Gears 5 Operation 6, the most recent content update for the latest game in the series, adding Hoffman and Queen Reyna to the game's growing roster of playable characters. But while The Coalition may not have been teasing a Gears of War 2 remaster, there are a few reasons why pursuing such a game could be a worthwhile endeavor for the developers.
Here is why a Gears of War 2 remaster would make sense.
Stuck on Xbox 360
Gears of War 2 originally launched in 2008 as an Xbox 360 exclusive, and it has remained that way ever since. While the game is technically playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X thanks to those consoles being backward compatible, it has never been released for PC. The same goes for Gears of War 3 and Gears of War: Judgment, even though the first game, Gears of War 4, and Gears 5 all had PC releases.
The Coalition also released Gears of War: Ultimate Edition on PC, and the Gears Tactics spin-off game hit the platform as well. So someone that games exclusively on PC is only able to get bits and pieces of the Gears of War storyline. They could play the original Gears of War and its remaster on PC, but then they'd have to dig out an Xbox 360 or another Xbox console to play Gears of War 2, 3, and Judgment.
The original Xbox 360 version of Gears of War 2 is well over a decade old at this point, so fans may not be too happy if it was simply ported to PC. However, a remaster that gives it better graphics and other bells and whistles could do the trick, something in a similar vein to Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. Then fans may want to see Gears of War 3 and Judgment make the jump as well, but a Gears of War 2 remaster on PC would be a good place to start.
Major Entry in the Franchise
Gears of War 2 is considered a landmark entry in the franchise as not only did it carry the kind of gameplay that made the first game so popular to begin with, but it also made several innovations that changed the series forever. Take, for instance, the introduction of Horde Mode. Horde Mode has become synonymous with the Gears of War franchise, with fans expecting the mode to return in each game. Horde Mode has proven to be hugely influential for the video game industry in general, with many other titles attempting to replicate its success.
Gears of War 2 also introduced some subtle new gameplay mechanics to shake up the core gameplay a bit, including the ability to grab enemies and use them as meatshields. Players are also able to participate in chainsaw duels, which adds some more melee-focused action to the proceedings. AI-controlled bots can also be utilized in multiplayer, meaning Gears of War fans have many more options for private and offline matches in Gears of War 2 than in the first game.
Gears of War 2 also moved the story forward quite a bit, providing significant new information on fan favorite character Dom and upping the emotional stakes of the plot. Some new characters were also added to the game, like Dizzy, who have remained popular with Gears of War enthusiasts to this day. Gears of War 2 was an important sequel that laid the foundation for the franchise's continued success, and so it's no surprise many are excited at the possibility of revisiting it.
Fans Want It
Considering the reaction that fans had when they thought that The Coalition was teasing a Gears of War 2 remaster, it's clear that many people want to see the game come to fruition. There is an audience for a Gears of War 2 remaster, so it seems like a wasted opportunity if The Coalition doesn't pursue it.
Fill the Gears of War Gap
As it stands, there is no new information on a potential Gears of War 6. It's almost certainly in development, but beyond that, fans have no clue about the game or when they may able to expect it. While a Gears of War 2 remaster would be no small undertaking, it would be a comparatively less taxing project than Gears 6, and would theoretically take a lot less development time. This way, Microsoft could get it out relatively quick and help fill the gap while Gears of War fans wait for news on Gears of War 6, which could be years from now.
Gears of War 2 is out now for Xbox 360.