Gears 5 Will Add New Game+ And An Identity Swap For Marcus

Gears 5 is getting a next-gen upgrade, and it'll launch alongside a big new update, bringing new content to the game on all systems (including Xbox One). It'll feature a New Game+ mode, and--strangely--the option to switch Marcus Fenix with actor Dave Bautista for the entire campaign.

IGN reports that on November 10, this update will not only unlock the next-gen version for current owners and Game Pass subscribers, but it'll also add these new features.

New Game+ will introduce the following changes:

• New difficulty levels (Ironman and Inconceivable)
• New character skins and weapon skins (you can use any you've unlocked in multiplayer)
• Mutators (such as big head mode)
• New achievements

Furthermore, all of your Jack upgrades will carry across, so you won't be starting back at square one. Ironman will be a classic "permadeath" mode, where you only get one life, whereas Inconceivable is just a bit harder than what's available now.

The most curious change is the ability to swap Marcus Fenix for Batista, Dave Bautista's character in the WWE, complete with newly-recorded voice lines. While it will likely sap away some of the resonance of Marcus' place in the franchise, the game's principal lead producer, Zoe Curnoe, says that this is the result of a "fan campaign on Twitter." Clearly this is something people wanted.

Changes to multiplayer and visual upgrades will also be coming to the game on this date--you can see all the details in IGN's preview.

The Xbox Series X and S launch November 10. Another new Gears game will be coming to consoles for the first time on this date--Gears Tactics, previously released for PC.