Following on from the new story that began in Gears 4, The Coalition has continued to tell the story of Kait’s mysterious family history in Gears 5, alongside how the COG is fighting back against the emerging Swarm threat. If you’ve hit the credits in Gears 5 and still don’t really know what happened, let us recap things for you. Here’s Gears 5’s ending explained.
*** This article deals with the ending of Gears 5, and contains significant spoilers for the campaign as a result. If you’ve haven’t played the game yet, or just want to enjoy it unspoiled, we advise turning back now. ***
Gears 5 Ending Explained
A lot goes on in the final act of Gears 5’s campaign, so we’re going to recap each of the chapters within Act 4 so you’ve got a full picture as to what’s going on.
This follows on from Delta Squad successfully getting the rocket with the Hammer of Dawn satellites into the sky, bringing the Hammer back online, ready to use against the Swarm threat.
Gears 5 Ending Explained – Act 4 Chapter 1
Placing the Hammer of Dawn Targeting Beacon
The chapter starts off with Clayton Carmine telling Delta Squad that they need to plant the targeting beacons for the Hammer of Dawn before it can be used. They need to be planted all across the city, and Cole and Fahz are already working on their two.
Delta Squad needs to plant theirs at East Barricade Academy. Once it goes live, they’ll have a live Hammer radius, but it won’t work everywhere until all of the beacons are planted and synced up.
The group manages to help Carmine plant his targeting beacon, but are facing an intense Swarm threat. Just in time, Mega Cole Train (Cole in a giant mech) shows up to help lay down suppressing fire and give them a helping hand on their way, navigating the rubble.
As they get close to the academy, a Swarmak appears. Del suggests planting the beacon so they can use the Hammer, but Baird says no, as they need to plant it on the other side of the courtyard, around the Swarmak, to maximize the Hammer’s coverage.
After beating the Swarmak, Cole chimes in to let Delta Squad know that he’s placed his beacon, and Marcus then plants the one at the academy once they’ve cleared the building.
The team uses the Hammer of Dawn to suppress incoming Swarm, before getting a comm from Paduk that the Swarm are overrunning them at the Tomb where he’s trying to plant his beacon. Marcus tells the team to go on, while he protects the one at the academy.
Helping Paduk Plant His Beacon at the Tomb
Arriving at the tomb, the group sees Flocks of leeches in the sky, as well as a bunch of Swarm crowding around Paduk. After helping him fend them off, the group uses Jack to get the beacon out of the wreckage hanging above Paduk and plant it.
Once planted, there’s yet another wave of Swarm incoming, including Pouncers and Snatchers. The team defends the beacon using the Hammer, and just as the beacons are all synced up, another Flock comes in.
Baird takes them down with his own firing controls for the Hammer, but then the ground breaks underneath and the beacon is crushed by falling debris.
The Queen of the Swarm & The Decision
From the ground emerges Queen Reyna, Kait’s mother, who is now leader of the Swarm. She tells Kait she failed them, and that “we are what you could have been.” Kait replies that she may have her body but she’s not her mother.
Reyna lunges to attack Kait, and JD and Del run in to help, but are both grabbed by Reyna’s tentacles. Reyna talks about being a complete being, connected, immortal. She says alive or dead, Kait belongs to the Swarm.
At this point, players then have a decision to make. They have to choose who to throw Kait’s knife at to either save JD or Del.
At this point, you’ll lose one of your team, and some of the cutscenes that follow change slightly depending on who you pick. For the purpose of this guide, we’re going to have chosen to save JD and kill Del.
Kait throws the knife at JD to save him, and Reyna then says you made your choice, kills Del, and tosses his corpse at her before telling her to “die with it.” As this happens, the huge Kraken starts tearing down cities, because why not.
