Gears 5 Horde Mode Brings New Ult Abilities to Series

Gamescom is ongoing, and Microsoft is using the occasion to promote Gears 5. During its Inside Xbox stream, we got an in-depth look at Horde mode and its core new features. For the first time in the series, each character will have a unique Ultimate Ability in Horde, giving them that much more power to fend off the waves of enemies that give the mode its name.

The presentation showed off a few abilities in particular. JD can call in an air-strike and Kat can cloak herself. Jack can buff nearby players or hack enemies. The company also noted that crossover characters will get their own Ultimate abilities as well, including Sarah Connor from Terminator: Dark Fate and Kat and Emile from the Halo: Reach pack.

Horde Mode is also introducing a new mechanic called Power Taps, which encourages players to move their bases around rather than hole up in one defensive position. You'll need to move around the map to capture energy taps every ten waves, which will boost your power.

Following this new look at Horde mode, we also got a new Gears 5 campaign trailer that showcases more of what to expect from that mode.