After a moderate amount of anticipation, Gears 5 has finally launched. But, from the looks of things, the latest entry in the Gears franchise hasn't experienced the smoothest take-off. Server crashes and unfulfilled promises mar an otherwise compelling game. Only time will tell if The Coalition can course-correct their newest project.
In the interim, fans all across the world have Carte Blanche to meme Gears 5 until their heart's content. In this article, we've compiled a bevy of memes from around the internet - even adding a few of our own making in for good measure. Whether you hate or love the newest Gears game, just know that all of these memes are made in good fun - except a few notable standouts.
10 Server Crash
Seeing a multiplayer-centric game like Gears 5 launch with server issues is like witnessing a track star trip over themselves right out of the gate - it's sad, humiliating, and a sure-fire way to induce Schadenfreude! In fairness, this blunder can be chalked up to bad luck - Xbox Live was down on Thursday and Friday, after all.
Still, memes like these are pretty funny because they put you in the shoes of day one Gears 5 players. Just imagine dropping $80 or $270 on a product, only to find that it doesn't work?! The whole experience makes one reconsider shelling out their hard-earned dough for future early access content.
9 When You Do It Just Right
We're not here purely for the sake of tearing the Gears franchise a new one - after all, some of our fondest memories stem from Gears 1's awesome Co-Op campaign as well as Gears 2's Horde mode. Gears 5 might be experiencing a muddled launch, but that doesn't mean it can't reach its predecessors' level someday.
So think of this modified Pacha meme as an ode to the Gears franchise - and the joy that comes from eradicating the Locust Horde just right. If Gears 5 becomes a huge hit, we hope fans create Pacha memes using JD's likeness - or even Kait's!
8 PC Co-Op
We can't gloss over the subject of Gears 5's Co-Op without mentioning the pandemonium surrounding the PC port. For months, fans thought that they'd be able to play through Gears 5 on PC via a split-screen feature. It wasn't until a few days ago, however, that the Coalition announced its decision to pull split-screen Co-Op from the PC port.
If you're a PC player who bought Gears 5 to play split-screen with a loved one, this about the only way you'll be able to do it for now. Until the fan protests prevail, this is the closest PC players will get to split-screen Co-Op.
7 Gears Of Doom
This meme isn't totally off base - Doom Eternal's launch is right around the corner after all! And both the Doom and Gears franchises relish in bloodshed - specifically, the wholesale slaughter of monstrous creatures from down below. Still, we can imagine a con artist trying to pawn this off to an unaware mark.
Maybe a grandparent decides to buy a nice Christmas gift for their grandkids - who are rabid Xbox fanatics! The grandparent only knows the name of the series but has no clue how to differentiate Master Chief from Master Hand. Out steps a shady conman - trenchcoat and all - who offers the old-timer a "special edition" that has "all the games." Hey, it could happen.
6 Gears Logic
Here's another meme that applies to the whole franchise - especially since Gears 5 doesn't have as many macho men as previous installments.
Heres' the thing - the Gears franchise takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, akin to the Mad Max franchise. Food and water became more scarce between the first three games, yet guys like Cole Train and Tai remained jacked as hell!
Where does anyone get enough protein to stay that ripped - especially in a world on the brink of collapse? Video game logic rarely matches up with reality, but this fact still trips fans out to this day.
5 Evolution
New game, new character designs. At least, that's the way The Coalition probably rationalized JD Fenix's drastic remodeling. In Gears 4, JD looked like a dashing - if slightly generic - protagonist, sort of like B.J. Blazkowicz from the Wolfenstein series. In Gears 5, however, JD looks like he ate his past self and assimilated him for biomass!
Some fans have taken to calling JD's Gears 5 appearance "Kratos Fenix." The massive scar on JD's face only makes comparisons with the God of War all the more compelling. We'll say this - JD's new look makes an impression on you.
4 RIP Tomatoes
Against all odds, Marcus Fenix is still kicking around in Gears 5. Moreover, we learned in Gears 4 that Marc was holed up in the estate he built for his family. Of all the amenities and facilities that dot the Fenix estate, Marcus' most prized possessions were his tomatoes.
Hell, the seeds he used to grow them came from his late brother-in-arms Dominic Santiago! That's why players who were sick enough to shoot Marcus' tomatoes were met with a hilarious easter egg - one that this meme calls back to.
3 Batista Bomb
Dave Batista is currently having trouble cementing his role in as Marcus Fenix in a Gears of War movie but that doesn't mean he can't make cameos in the interim. From September 15th to October 28th, Gears 5 players can unlock Batista as a playable character in-game!
We're pretty sure that the devs could add in a Batista Bomb finisher - if they so desired. Either way, it'll be great wrecking the Locust Horde/Swarm as Drax the Destroyer!
2 Diminishing Returns
As sad as it is to admit, the Gears franchise isn't the record-shattering juggernaut it used to be. The saying goes that "all good things must come to an end," including the Gears franchises' reign in the shooter market.
This meme is honestly more sad than it is funny - underscoring the differences in profits between the first Gears game and Gears: Judgement. Gears 4 managed to reverse the franchise's fortunes, so time will tell if Gears 5 can continue getting the series back on track.
1 Fortnite > Gears 5
Once upon a time, Epic Games used to develop the Gears of War series - at least, they developed each of the main games. Then Gears 3 ended, and Epic sought out a new franchise to make bank with. Enter Fortnite - specifically, Fortnite Battle Royale.
Ever since this game mode blew up in 2017/2018, Epic's put all of their time and energy into beefing up Fortnite. You'd almost forget that Epic ever had anything to do with the Gears franchise - as both games are worlds apart from each other.