No one saw this coming — least of all me. To my knowledge, PlayStation has never departed from their rhythm like this, and yet, here we are, PlayStation now has Gears of War: Reloaded for the PS5. How odd. An Xbox exclusive has now made its way to PlayStation. The official tweet quoted, “Press R1 to Active Reload,” and the entire internet has completely lost it.
This is equally as shocking as if Coca-Cola started vending Pepsi in their machines. The console wars are becoming even more complicated. The gamers’ reactions have been notes of pure happiness and shock, with some extremely heated takes in the responses.
The comment section is just as chaotic as the news. One user, Nabil Kazama, perfectly put into words what everyone was already thinking: “Never thought I’d see the day where Xbox games are being played on PlayStation. Halo will be next?” Honestly, at this point, it feels like nothing is surprising anymore, so I wouldn’t be shocked if I said anything.
The Supabox account perfectly captured the overall sentiment: “So weird seeing Playstation post about Gears.” Indeed, for more than ten years, Gears was the thing you played on Xbox. The chainsaw lancer was essentially Microsoft’s mascot weapon. PlayStation owners are now able to experience that sweet active reload mechanic for themselves.
Naturally, a lot of people are not happy about this, so there is some negativity. A few are even openly mocking the release. In a response to the release, Dad2Reagan commented, “Oh look, games from the side that lost the console wars. Can’t wait. 😂” which is… one way of looking at it. Likewise, other people are begging for other Xbox games to be released on PlayStation. SimonX2932 said, “come on Sony, just release Sunset Overdrive already, and greenlight a sequel,” which honestly, that game was underrated.
The international audience is joining the conversation as well. A Brazilian player named PC Master Jambróba typed in Portuguese, “Sonysta não resiste a um remaster, tá com a bunda pegando fogo jogando a terceira versão do mesmo jogo,” or Sony can’t resist a remaster and is burning their butt playing the third version game. A bit harsh but maybe a little accurate?
There’s still the continuing mention of Helldivers 2. One user, Tom Selleck (likely not the real person), said, “It’s absolute dirt compared to Helldivers 2. You’re welcome,” which… okay, that’s a very aggressive opinion. Meanwhile, other users are jumping into heated battles about what counts as first-party and who owns what IPs. It gets complicated real fast as users argue over development studios and publishing rights.
For some it’s defending the release, while for others it’s questioning the reasoning. 9_mannn46830 asked the relevant question, “Xbox getting Spiderman then?” Which… probably not, but who even knows now! Everything is up for grabs now.
The hype is undeniable. One user named Greyble almost begs for a review key in saying, “I LOVE YOU GUYS! Please and thank you blessings on you!” which is sweet. Another one commented, “The only game i nee in ps5,” and the typo makes it feel much more real.
Even the replies show some spicy drama, with users insulting each other and arguing about… well, everything really. From calling someone gay as an insult (which, by the way, is dumb) to accusing the person of hating women. The Twitter ecosystem is nothing if not… predictable in its toxicity sometimes.
But mostly? They are incredulous that this was actually announced. As one user crystalizes the moment, “This is cinema! FANTASY! Ajjajajajajajajajajajja,” which while unexplainable still perfectly captures the feeling of disbelief.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first PlayStation release of a Microsoft title in recent history. Grounded and Pentiment also made their way to the platform. The release of Gears stands out more though — as this is one of Xbox’s marquee titles, it should’ve been a PlayStation no-show. The console exclusives hierarchy looks suspiciously like it’s about to get wrecked.
The game itself is titled Gears of War: Reloaded, and it was released already. It features an old-school active reload, where a quick tap of R1 in a certain window speeds up reloads and deals some bonus damage. It’s one of those simple mechanics that later evolves into a critical mastery skill.
For PlayStation gamers who never played the original trilogy, this is a noteworthy occasion. The Gears title is famous for third-person shooting; the franchise’s heavy movement, cover system, weighty movement, and gritty executions are some of the systems that keep the game constantly enjoyable.
The timing is good, and it is bad at the same time as a major co-op shooter is launching on PlayStation and Helldivers 2 is dominating the co-op shooter space right now.
Some players are already complaining that they want Days Gone 2 instead of recycled Xbox games, but in all honesty – we can have both. Probably. Maybe.
From a broader perspective, I think the questions people should be asking next is the important part. What games won’t come if Gears can come to PlayStation? Is Halo coming next? The comments are overflowing with people speculating in the Master Chief collection coming, which frankly is a possibility I would give a shot to.
Microsoft looks fully adopting a play-anywhere strategy, as they are releasing their titles wherever they can get traction. Sony is quietly holding on to their biggest exclusives and closing the doors to their availability on other platforms. From a business standpoint, both strategies are fascinating.
In the meantime, PlayStation users are finally able to enjoy one of the best franchises from Xbox. The responses are a mixture of excitement, bewilderment, and rage. But in general, it’s just gamers being gamers — looking forward to what new games to sink their teeth into.
The active reload mechanic is iconic for a reason. That perfect reload sound is just chef’s kiss. Now a whole new audience gets to experience that satisfaction. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll see more cross-platform sharing in the future.
The PlayStation tweet for Gears of War is something that most gamers could not have ever fathomed, but now that it has happened, it feels just as strange as it is exciting. I, for one, am curious to know why everyone is “losing their mind” and am about to press R1 repeatedly.
