▲ photo by Akii



Gears 5, the latest installment in Epic Games' cover-based third-person shooter franchise Gears of War, will feature flags that players can use to represent themselves in pre-game and post-game lobbies. 19 of these flags are flown in pride of the LGBTQ community, and can be unlocked freely through in-game crafting.



Since the release of its first iteration in 2006, Gears of War has primarily been a testosterone-fueled experience. Gears 5 had already taken steps forward, introducing the first woman protagonist in the history of a series known for strong female characters. Now, Gears has taken things a step further, turning the inclusivity knob to 11 by adding not one, but NINETEEN different flags to offer representation for the plethora of identities that make up the LGBTQ community.









Gears 5 is already playable on PC as of Friday, September 6, as well as Xbox One for players who purchased the Ultimate Edition of Gears 5 or possess a subscription to Xbox Live Game Pass Ultimate. Gears 5 will drop officially for Xbox One on Tuesday, September 10.