All Gears of War games in order: Chronological and release

With Gears of War: E-Day officially on the horizon, many players might wonder about the order in which they should play the Gears games. The series has prequels, spin-offs, and sequels set decades apart, so it’s not always clear where everything fits.

To make things easier, we divide the titles into two simple lists in this article: one showcasing the chronological order and the other the release order. This way, you can decide whether you want to follow the timeline or experience the series the way it evolved.

---

All Gears of War games in chronological order

If you want to see the story in the order it unfolds, here’s the path to follow:

1) Gears of War: E-Day (2026)

Gears of War: E-day (Image via The Coalition)

This is where it all begins. E-Day will throw us right into the chaos of Emergence Day, the moment the Locust burst from the surface of Sera and nearly wiped out humanity in just one day. You’ll see Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago much younger, still figuring out what kind of soldiers they’re going to become. Think of it as the origin story of the entire saga.

---

2) Gears of War: Judgment (2013)

Set shortly after E-Day, Judgment focuses on Damon Baird, Augustus Cole, and Kilo Squad. The game’s story is told through flashbacks during a military tribunal, where the squad explains their decisions in the early days of the Locust War. It’s gritty, chaotic, and shows how desperate humanity was at the start of the fight.

---

3) Gears Tactics (2020)

Gears Tactics (Image via The Coalition)

Unlike the other titles in this list, Gears Tactics isn’t a third-person shooter but a strategy game. It takes place about a year after E-Day and follows the story of Gabriel Diaz (Kait’s father from later games).

Alongside his squad, he hunts down a dangerous Locust scientist named Ukkon. Even though the gameplay style is different, it still ties deeply into the lore and fills in gaps about how the COG fought back in those early years.

---

4) Gears of War and the Ultimate Edition (2006 and 2015)

The original game, remade later as the Ultimate Edition, is where most players first entered the series. It’s set 14 years after E-Day, when the Locust war is at full scale. Marcus Fenix is released from prison to rejoin Delta Squad, and together they try to pull off a desperate plan involving a Lightmass bomb to cripple the Locust. This is the game that defined the series' brutal tone and introduced us to its iconic characters.

---

5) Gears of War 2 (2008)

Six months after the events of Gears of War, the Delta Squad dives deeper into the Hollow, the Locust’s underground world. The stakes rise fast as whole cities are being sunk, and the fight becomes personal for the squad. This entry expands the scale of the war and adds some of the series’s most emotional moments.

---

6) Gears of War 3 (2011)

The finale of the original trilogy. Humanity is on the brink of destruction, caught between the Locust and the parasitic Lambent. With few places left to run, Marcus and his allies fight their final battles while uncovering secrets tied to Marcus’s father. It’s emotional, action-packed, and is widely considered one of the best Gears titles ever made.

---

7) Gears of War 4 (2016)

Fast-forward 25 years. The Locust are gone, but peace doesn’t last. A new generation steps up: JD Fenix (Marcus’s son), Kait Diaz, and Del Walker as they uncover a terrifying new enemy known as the Swarm. This game bridges the old and new by mixing familiar faces with fresh characters.

---

8. Gears 5 (2019)

Gears 5 (Image via The Coalition)

In this direct continuation of Gears 4, Kait takes center stage as she investigates her disturbing connection to the Locust. The story digs into her family history while the Swarm grows more dangerous than ever. It’s also the biggest Gears game to date, with open areas and choices that actually change the outcome of the story.

---

All Gears of War games in release order

If you’d rather play them the way fans did, here’s the order in which they were released:

1. Gears of War - 2006
2. Gears of War 2 - 2008
3. Gears of War 3 - 2011
4. Gears of War: Judgment - 2013
5. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition - 2015
6. Gears of War 4 - 2016
7. Gears 5 - 2019
8. Gears Tactics - 2020
9. Gears of War: E-Day - 2026

With E-Day on the way, now’s the perfect time to catch up on the series, whether you’re reliving old memories or jumping in fresh.

---

For more articles like this, follow Sportskeeda:

• FPS fans are more excited for Battlefield 6 than Black Ops 7, is Call of Duty dying?
• Esports Awards 2025: All winners across every category
• Esports World Cup 2025 Club Championship: Final standings, prize distribution, and more