A new report has suggested that Gears of War: Reloaded is struggling for success on PlayStation 5. Gears of War: Reloaded is the first-ever game in the series to head to PlayStation, but it seems gamers on Sony's platform may not be taking to The Coalition's latest release in massive numbers.
The launch of Gears of War: Reloaded marked a massive shift in the classic console war. For many years, Gears of War was seen as a flagship franchise for Xbox, and the idea of it coming to PlayStation seemed ridiculous even until recently. However, there has been a change in Microsoft's approach to exclusives of late, with players having more choice in where to enjoy their games.
Gears of War: Reloaded: The Case for and Against Fixing the Gnasher
Gears of War: Reloaded has garnered a handful of complaints, with one common criticism being leveled at the Gnasher, an extremely powerful shotgun.
Gears of War: Reloaded May Not Be Selling Well on PlayStation 5
According to a recent report from Alinea Analytics's Rhys Elliott, Gears of War: Reloaded's PlayStation 5 debut may not be a huge hit for The Coalition. Sales numbers for the game are apparently at 259,000 on PlayStation as of the September 2 report, accounting for 18.1% of the game's total downloads. It was highlighted by Elliott that this is in stark contrast to Forza Horizon 5's impressive PlayStation 5 numbers, showing that ports of Xbox exclusives can still work well on the platform.
Elliott also raises a few possible reasons for Gears of War: Reloaded's sales struggles on PlayStation 5. He describes the Gears of War: Reloaded multiplayer experience as "not so fun for newcomers, with the shotgun-roll, shotgun, roll loop in the multiplayer making the FTUE pretty miserable for most newcomers." This makes sense - the Gears of War gameplay loop has remained very similar for nearly two decades, and series veterans can destroy new players pretty handily. He also points out that the dated mechanics of the game may have hurt the brand in the eyes of newcomers as a remaster, claiming that The Coalition "probably should have started on PlayStation with next year's Gears of War: E-Day."
It's worth noting that Gears of War: Reloaded had some player count struggles on PC, too, with the majority of its player base remaining on Xbox. Its presence on Xbox Game Pass is likely a massive factor in this, with players instead choosing to download directly from their subscription service rather than paying full price for a remaster of a nearly two-decade-old game.
Gears of War: Reloaded
- Released
- August 26, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- The Coalition
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action, Third-Person Shooter, War & Military
