Gears YouTube: Mass Deletion?

The Coalition's surprising purge of the official Gears of War YouTube and Twitch channels has left fans reeling. The channels, once brimming with classic trailers, developer streams, and esports highlights, now feature a stark emptiness, save for the recent Gears of War: E-Day reveal trailer and a 2020 fan video. This drastic action follows the highly anticipated announcement of E-Day, a prequel set fourteen years before the original game, aiming for a 2025 release.

This prequel, focusing on Marcus and Dom during Emergence Day, is being positioned as a near-reboot, despite maintaining the established timeline and characters. The Coalition even teased E-Day within Gears 5, suggesting an imminent launch.

The near-complete deletion of the channel's content has sparked speculation. Many believe this is a deliberate attempt to create a clean slate for E-Day, emphasizing a fresh start for the franchise. The iconic original Gears of War trailer, famed for its use of Gary Jules' "Mad World," was even subtly referenced in the E-Day trailer, further fueling this theory.

While the videos may be hidden rather than deleted, the immediate impact is a loss of readily accessible content for fans. While game trailers are easily found elsewhere, locating developer streams and esports archives will prove more challenging. The Coalition's decision, however unexpected, underscores the significant shift in direction for the Gears of War franchise with the upcoming E-Day release.