Gears 5 gets some of the best classic maps and some of the best WWE wrestlers

Welcome back to Gridlock

Gears 5 got a lot more technically-impressive with the launch of Xbox Series X. Versus mode runs at 120fps now, input latency has been reduced upward of 57 percent. The Coalition has managed to squeeze a lot more performance out of this old dog.

The Coalition has also managed to squeeze a lot more content into it. Today’s Operation 5 update is the largest in Gears 5 history, and it brings 5 new maps into the fold. Two of them, Nexus and Regency, are brand new. Three of them are retreads from Gears and Gears 2 as Gridlock, Clocktower, and River join the rotation. I’ve sunk a lot of hours into Gridlock over the years.

There are also seven new characters debuting on the multiplayer roster. Dizzy and his iconic cowboy hat, Tai Kaliso, Anya Stroud, Skorge, Lambent Drone, Lambent Grenadier, and Lambent Theron Guard. Anyone who played classic Gears of War during the original trilogy will recognize everyone here.

Accompanying the content additions is a handful of quality of life improvements. In Horde and Escape mode, characters have been separated from class so you can mix and match to your delight. Other features are: “A suite of Ranked PvP updates, PvE balance updates for decoupled classes, new heroic cosmetic rarity, all-new daily and weekly PvE challenges and rewards, 13 new achievements.”

There’s one more exciting inclusion. The WWE’s New Day will be introduced as playable characters in Versus mode. Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods will be bouncing off walls with their Gnashers blasting away. Following Batista’s lead, Gears 5 is now a place where wrestlers go to become immortalized in non-wrestling games. At least they already have the body types as the meaty, muscular COGs.

Gears 5: Multiplayer Relaunches Today with Operation 5: Hollow Storm, Twice the Content Since Launch [Xbox Wire]