20 Years Ago, Gears of War Helped put the Xbox 360 on the map

It is difficult to believe that we're coming up on the 20th anniversary of the release of Gears of War . Fortunately for longtime fans, we'll be getting a prequel to the 2006 classic in Gears of War: E-Day in October. The anniversary gives me a chance to look back on a game that helped shape the Xbox 360's dominance. 

These days, Epic Games is known for Fortnite , one of the most popular games of all time, but they have a storied history of delivering top-tier competitive shooter experiences dating back to Unreal Tournament's release in 1999. That tradition continued with Gears of War, which captures the "gamer ethos" of the mid-2000s. If Mountain Dew made a wish to become a video game, it would be the Gears of War franchise. 

I first learned about the title from the amazing commercial featuring a Gary Jules cover of "Mad World." If you've never seen it or want to revisit it, I highly recommend checking it out. From the moment I saw that trailer, I knew that I was going to save up any money I could and get an Xbox 360 just to play Gears of War . I'm sure many others did the same. To date, the first title has sold over 6 million copies. 

The campaign is a fun action romp, full of over-the-top violence and just enough emotion to keep you engaged. Marcus Fenix quickly became one of video games' most iconic characters, a behemoth of a man who will do whatever it takes to protect humanity. The supporting characters have also become icons, with Dominic Santiago, Augustus Cole, Damon Baird and Anya Stroud all taking their place in gaming history. 

What really kept the game alive, though, was the multiplayer mode. A 4v4 mode that sees the humans facing off against the Locust in death match, a king of the hill mode called conquest, demolition, and crucible. I will always look back fondly on the nights when I missed out on sleep because I just kept wanting to play one more game. 

Undoubtedly, my affinity for Gears of War comes from a bit of nostalgia; as a 13-year-old boy in 2006, I was the target demo for the franchise. However, given the fact that Gears of War has been remade twice now, once in 2015 with the Ultimate Edition and again last year with Gears of War: Reloaded , I think it is safe to say that the core game has stood the test of time. I hope that in 20 years, I will be saying the same thing about Gears of War: E-Day.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Aug 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.