The Gears of War franchise is a prominent media property, primarily celebrated for its third-person shooter video games, initially created by Epic Games and now owned by Xbox Game Studios and developed by The Coalition. The first installment, Gears of War, was released on November 7, 2006, for the Xbox 360, introducing players to protagonist Marcus Fenix in humanity's brutal war against the subterranean Locust Horde on the planet Sera.
Known for its intense cover-based combat, the original trilogy, guided by lead designer Cliff Bleszinski, expanded the conflict to include the mutated Lambent. After Microsoft acquired the franchise in January 2014, later titles like Gears of War 4 (2016) and Gears 5 (2019) shifted focus to new characters, including Marcus's son JD Fenix and Kait Diaz, battling a reconstituted threat known as the Swarm. Beyond its best-selling games, the universe has expanded through spin-off titles, novels, comics, and merchandise, solidifying its status as a highly popular and influential Xbox franchise.