Gears of War: E-Day has attracted online criticism from people objecting to its female characters, including a strong commander and Mags, a gay Black squad member. Some commentators have framed those characters as evidence that the game was made for a “modern audience”.
That argument overlooks the series’ established history. Women have been present in the Gears of War universe since its first Xbox 360 release, serving as commanders, soldiers, scientists, enemies and supporting characters. The franchise’s treatment of women has not always been perfect, but their presence is hardly new.
For readers who follow arcade news and gaming history, Gears of War offers an interesting example of how a long-running action series develops its cast over time.
Anya Stroud was there from the first game
The clearest example is Anya Stroud. In the first two games, she primarily supports the squad through communications, guiding Marcus Fenix and his teammates from behind the scenes. By Gears of War 3, she has taken up a Lancer, put on combat armour and joined the fight on the front line.
Anya remains important across the original trilogy, while the wider franchise lore gives her an even larger role in the history of the COG and the Locust War.
The original trilogy already included major women
Queen Myrrah is another major figure introduced in the first game and developed throughout the trilogy. As the apparent leader of the Locust, she is one of the series’ central antagonists. Her story is also connected to Kait Diaz and Kait’s mother, who become important figures in later instalments.
Gears of War 3 adds several more women to the conflict. Bernie helps Marcus and the others defend a strategically important fort, while Samantha “Sam” Byrne fights alongside Cole and Baird for much of the campaign. Sam also appears as an experienced combatant in Gears of War 4.
The series’ downloadable content also introduced Alicia Valera, a member of Zeta-Six who is killed by General RAAM. Her story reinforces that women were involved in COG military operations well before the events of the later games.
The wider timeline includes female soldiers
The examples continue beyond the main trilogy. Dr. Mikayla Dorn in Gears Tactics is one of the game’s notable characters, while that title also allows players to recruit women as COG soldiers.
Gears of War: Judgment features Sofia Hendrick, a playable member of the COG’s elite Onyx Guard. Because Judgment takes place before or around the events of the original game, its cast further establishes that women served in the COG military during the series’ earliest period.
Even the first games contain smaller examples. In Gears 2, an unnamed woman COG soldier appears as a field medic alongside the infantry. She may not be a headline character, but her presence makes it difficult to argue that women only began fighting beside men in Gears of War 3.
A history that is broader than its loudest critics suggest
There are fair criticisms to make of the series’ writing. Anya, for instance, is often limited to the role of a battlefield secretary in the early games before receiving a more active combat role. Acknowledging that weakness does not erase the franchise’s long-standing inclusion of women, including women of colour.
Gears of War: E-Day can be judged on how well it writes its individual characters, but complaints that women are suddenly being added to the series do not match its established timeline. From Anya and Myrrah to Sam, Bernie, Alicia, Sofia and the soldiers of Gears Tactics, women have been part of this universe from the beginning.
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