The Narrative of Sera
An Age of Strife: Pre-Locust History
Sera's history is defined by conflict. The discovery of Imulsion, a powerful energy source, solved a global energy crisis but ignited the 79-year-long Pendulum Wars between the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) and the Union of Independent Republics (UIR). The war ended only when the COG deployed the Hammer of Dawn, an orbital laser weapon system. Just six weeks after this fragile peace was established, a new, unforeseen enemy emerged from beneath the planet's surface on what would become known as Emergence Day.
The Locust and Lambent War
The original trilogy follows COG soldier Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad. Gears of War begins 14 years after Emergence Day, with humanity's last bastion on the Jacinto Plateau. The COG's fight against the overwhelming Locust Horde culminates in Gears of War 2 with the discovery that the Locust are fleeing a parasitic form of Imulsion, the Lambent. The war reaches its climax in Gears of War 3, where Marcus's father, Adam Fenix, deploys an Imulsion countermeasure that eradicates both the Locust and the Lambent, saving humanity but at a great cost.
A New Generation, An Evolved Threat
Set 25 years later, Gears of War 4 introduces a new cast: JD Fenix (Marcus's son), Kait Diaz, and Del Walker. They face the Swarm, a terrifying new enemy that evolved from the remains of the Locust. Gears 5 shifts focus to Kait, who discovers her lineage is directly tied to the Locust Queen, Myrrah. Her journey to uncover her past and sever her connection to the Swarm hivemind becomes central to the new war, as a reconstituted Queen leads the Swarm against the rebuilt COG civilization.
Prequels and Side Stories
The universe is further explored in several prequels. Gears of War: Judgment follows Damon Baird and Augustus Cole in the early days of the Locust War. The turn-based strategy game Gears Tactics is set one year after E-Day and follows Kait's father, Gabriel Diaz, as he hunts a key Locust scientist. The upcoming Gears of War: E-Day will return to the pivotal moment the Locust first emerged, focusing on a younger Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago.
