Operation 8 Is The Last For Gears 5, But Introduces A Fan-Favorite Character

The eighth operation for Gears 5 is set to launch soon, with developer The Coalition introducing a fan-favorite character from Gears of War 3 and multiple Gears of War novels as a new multiplayer character option.

Bernie Mataki, a seasoned COG veteran that links up with Marcus Fenix and company during the events of Gears of War 3, is being introduced into Gears 5. She's known for her excellent sharpshooting skills, which are keenly shown in the new teaser for the game's latest, and last, operation. Also included in this latest season is a new map called Ritual, which is set on Mataki's home of the Galangi Islands. Another Locust character, the Ketor Vral, is making a debut in multiplayer, too.

Operation 8 will also include a new Tour of Duty, which The Coalition says will continue being refreshed in the weeks after release to give returning players something to look forward to. That's in part due to Operation 8 being the final planned content drop of this kind for Gears 5, with the studio now moving resources over to games that will utilize Unreal Engine 5. Gears 5 servers will remain online while support will continue, but content additions will be largely wrapped up according to The Coalition's senior community manager.

A new entry in the Gears of War franchise hasn't been announced yet, with The Coalition's last release being Gears Tactics (where it assisted lead developer Splash Damage). Gears 5 was another great chapter in the enduring franchise, with GameSpot's Gears 5 review reading, "Gears 5 might suffer from some of the same storytelling missteps as its predecessors, and it might not venture far out of the past, but the new ideas it brings to the series are all good reasons for fans to return."