Gears Of War Multiplayer Was Nearly Axed From The Game

It might not be the staple of the shooter genre anymore, but Gears of War has certainly made an impact in the console world - especially in the early days of Xbox's lifetime. Although the Gears of War multiplayer has become an iconic experience over the years, it could've been very different, as the developers were close to axing the co-operative modes to release a single-player only campaign.

Now eclipsed by the likes of Call of Duty, Halo, and Titanfall, Gears of War was very nearly not in the conversation, as just weeks before the release of the 2006 first instalment of Gears, it was nearly "cut" - amid woes surrounding mix-matched map that didn't compliment the mobility-heavy gameplay.

What Happened To The Gears of War Multiplayer?

Click to enlarge

In comparison to Bungie - the then dev team behind Halo - and other like-minded teams, Gears of War's developing squad was very minimalistic, according to Lee Perry, Gameplay Designer and Lead Level Designer for the franchise.

"In terms of the manpower we had associated with the effort, we didn't have a team of people just making multiplayer maps," Perry said, in a recent episode of Ars Technica's War Stories.

The individuals behind the map design first based their blueprints on maps in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, a title that had become iconic for their standard designs and close-quarters avenues. However, they soon found that the mobility in Gears made these designs feel disingenuous to the game, with Perry describing the multiplayer mode as "a train wreck", just weeks before launch.

How Did They Fix Gears of War Multiplayer?

"We were at the start of summer, and this thing is shipping in fall, and there was a very specific moment where we were having those discussions of, do we just cut this?" Perry continued to say. So, with a handful of days to re-jig the maps, Perry explained how they drew inspiration from their own single-player campaign landscapes instead. 

Much like in the single-player campaign, the whole point was that you had the opportunity to see what those people were doing," he added, detailing that the low walls, obstacles, and choke points were quickly created. Gears of War's multiplayer experience soon became one of the more timeless games of its era and continued to be a hugely successful franchise until the last five years or so.

Nowadays, it's remembered as a pioneer for the genre, inspiring a wealth of franchises that have snatched the flag and continue to fly it. It turns out a great decision was made, especially with Gears now grossing over $1 Billion in sales.