How to Get Free Xbox One Copies of Gears of War 2, 3, and Judgment

Microsoft has announced a nice new incentive for the upcoming Gears of War Ultimate Edition.

Everyone who plays the Ultimate Edition before New Years will receive a free copy of every other Gears of War console game released to date for play on Xbox One via backwards compatibility.

That means the Ultimate Edition, if you buy it soon enough, actually comes with these four games.

• Gears of War
• Gears of War 2
• Gears of War 3
• Gears of War Judgment

This is part of the Ultimate Edition's $40 price tag; it doesn't cost extra. It sounds like a nice way to catch up on the story so far in the run-up to Gears of War 4's launch next holiday.

Gears of War 2, 3, and Judgment are not remastered, however. You're getting a copy of the game made playable on Xbox One through backwards compatibility, just like the "hundreds" of other games that will be available this fall when the feature rolls out to all Xbox Live users. It's currently in test for select users.

For lots more on the Ultimate Edition, be sure to read GameSpot's just-published interview feature with The Coalition producer Rod Fergusson.

Microsoft acquired the Gears of War franchise from Epic Games in January 2014 for an undisclosed sum.