Despite becoming one of Xbox 360's most popular and influential multiplayer games, the original Gears of War nearly launched without a competitive multiplayer component.

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In the latest episode of IGN Unfiltered (airing next Tuesday), series creator Cliff Bleszinski explained why, noting they "were under intense pressure from Microsoft to get the game out for holiday" and the company "didn't really think the cover-based gameplay would be any fun."The team initially created "maps that felt like a lot like Counter-Strike," but discovered the game's "slow clunkiness and slow turning speed" made for an experience that "was kind of frustrating" when other players managed to get behind you. It wasn't until the map Gridlock was created that things began to fall into place, as the "half-donut" design fostered the "hide and go kill" gameplay that fans have come to love.Bleszinski also said he initially wanted a system like Counter-Strike, where players would purchase weapons between rounds. However, producer Rod Fergusson made the "executive decision" to instead place power weapons around each map to drive the flow of gameplay.For more on Bleszinski's history with the Gears of War franchise, stay tuned to IGN, when our full Unfiltered interview with the Boss Key Productions co-founder goes live next week. In the meantime, check out our hands-on multiplayer preview of the series' next installment, Gears of War 4.

Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter