Gears 5 Adds A New Gridiron Mode, Characters, And Maps In Operation 3

Gears 5 will be releasing a bunch of new content soon, including some classic beloved characters and a new, never-before-seen mode. Operation 3: Gridiron will be available in the Xbox One and PC game on March 31--here's everything it adds.

Four new characters are being added to the game, complete with their own unique ultimates. Augustus "Cole Train" Cole and Clayton Carmine are coming to the Heroes side, while Queen Myrrah and Theron Guard are being added to the villains list.

These characters will be available to all players--as will everything in this update.

The new Gridiron mode is a one-life competition where players compete to nab a flag and score a "touchdown" in their opponent's area. It's a 5v5 mode, and you score 2 points for a touchdown, 2 for an elimination, or 1 if you're holding the flag when time runs out. The first team to 13 wins. The mode comes complete with custom weapon placements for each map.

Speaking of maps, a new one, Pahanu, has been added. It's a jungle map, complete with an open swamp in the middle. Meanwhile, Gears 1 favorite Canals returns, and Arena and Annex are being added as 2v2 maps.

A new Tour of Duty will also begin with this operation, bringing brand new unlockables to the game. There are even new Xbox Achievements coming, and they'll be tracked retroactively based on your previous stats. The full Achievement list will be revealed on March 30.

Gears 5 will continue to receive support for some time yet, with an Xbox Series X version planned.