After two and half years of support from the current Gears of War developers The Coalition, it was announced today that the current season of Gears esports will be the final one as the devs “shift focus to future projects.”
The Gears esports scene has been an active one for many years, dating back to the major MLG events from 2007 to 2008 that were played on the first Gears game. The scene saw a surge in popularity beginning in late 2016 after the release of Gears 4, thanks in part to the utter dominance by massive brand OpTic Gaming over the next two years, plus the inclusion of other prominent orgs like Envy, eUnited, and others.
Beginning in late 2019, after the release of Gears 5, Microsoft and The Coalition brought the entire scene under the Gears Esports banner. But just a few months into the start of the official Gears Esports program, the scene had to shift to an entirely online setting due to the emergence of COVID-19. While other games have seen some sort of return to LAN events since, all Gears esports events have remained online.
In its statement today, The Coalition thanked fans for their continued support over the past two years. The final major events of the current season of Gears esports will be the Spring and Summer Majors. Additionally, the third split of the Gears Pro League season is set to begin today, featuring the likes of Pittsburgh Knights, eUnited, Rise, and Pioneers.
