The Coalition reveals all-new Gears of War 5 Horde mode; new Halo: Reach character pack

Gears of War 5 made its gamescom presence known today, with details regarding an all-new Horde mode, as well as a Halo: Reach related character pack.

The all-new Horde will introduce Ultimate abilities into its popular mix of wave-based gameplay, allowing players to pull off character specific abilities. This extends to crossover characters, such as Sarah Connor from Terminator: Dark Fates and Kat and Emile from Halo: Reach.

Horde is back and better than ever in Gears 5. Next month, Horde continues the evolution of the fan-favorite multiplayer mode that has become a cornerstone of the franchise with an all-new set of character-based gameplay mechanics where each character has their own personality, progression, play style and legacy that they bring to the table. Can you and four friends endure waves of ever-stronger enemies and bosses? Survive using new Ultimate abilities like JD’s air strike or Kait’s cloak, building defenses, collecting power, leveling up your skills and working as a team. Beyond traditional Gears heroes, you can now play as Jack, the flying support bot, in Horde. Jack doesn’t need cover and can buff nearby players or hack and hijack enemies making them fight each other, which lends an added dimension to building out the best team. On top of these major enhancements, we’ve also added Power Taps – a new mechanic that encourages players to move their bases for more power and rewards. For a first glimpse at the latest in Horde, check out the latest trailer and prepare to hop in with you and your squad in a few weeks.

Speaking of Halo: Reach, we would be remiss if we didn’t talk more about the newly announced Halo: Reach character pack that is heading to Gears of War 5 at launch. The Ultimate Edition, at least.

Through this add-on, fans of the Gears and Halo series will be able to mix Spartans Emile-A239 and Kat-B320 with characters like Kait Diaz and Marcus Fenix.

The Gears of War 5 Ultimate Edition will be available through Game Pass Ultimate, and is also being sold separately.

Gears of War 5 is set to launch on September 10th. It is now available for pre-order on Xbox One, and for PC, including on Steam.