Set on the fictional planet of Sera, the “Gears of War” series charts the story of humanity’s struggle against fearsome and brutal adversaries through a captivating tale of hope, comradery and survival.

After narrowly escaping an attack on their village, JD Fenix and his friends, Kait and Del, must rescue the ones they love and discover the source of a monstrous new enemy. “Gears of War 4” returns the franchise to the dark tone and intensity of the original and includes split-screen and online co-op, the next generation of five-player favorite, Horde Mode, 60 frames-per-second Versus multiplayer, and stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 4.

Today, hip hop’s biggest names officially join the Gears of War family with playable characters ready for Versus Multiplayer and Horde 3.0. Available for purchase as part of the Run the Jewels Air Drop, both EL-P and Killer Mike have lent their voices, likeness and ‘can’t nobody save us but us’ attitude to Gears of War 4 continuing their partnership with Xbox and The Coalition. This is the first time two recording artists have been reimagined as playable characters in the Gears of War franchise or any Xbox game. The brotherhood that Killer Mike and El-P represent as Run the Jewels perfectly matches the soul of Gears, which at its core is about that brotherhood and never fighting alone.

Also available alongside the playable EL-P and Killer Mike within the Run the Jewels Air Drop are 18 themed weapon skins, emblems and bounties to ensure fans have the appropriate levels of swagger to add to their Gears of War 4 Versus Multiplayer and Horde experience.

As anticipation for the megalithic rap duo’s forthcoming RTJ3 album continues to mount, Run the Jewels have announced their first full scale North American headlining tour since 2015. The “Run the World” tour kicks off mid-January in Philadelphia and continues through to the end of February, with stops in veritably every major city in the US along the way. Support for the tour will be provided by Brainfeeder-affiliated hip hop experimentalist The Gaslamp Killer, mysterious underground MC Spark Master Tape, & longtime Killer Mike collaborator CUZ. Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 4th at 10am local time (with exception of New York & St. Paul which go on sale at noon). More announcements detailing worldwide tour dates are expected in the near future.

For more info on Run the Jewels, including the Run the Jewels x Gears of War clothing, please visit the official website.

Key Features:

• New Story, Heroes and a Nightmare Reborn: The first chapter of an all-new “Gears” saga thrusts players into an epic and perilous journey through the wilds of Sera. Fight as JD Fenix – son of the legendary hero Marcus Fenix – as he embarks on a desperate mission with his friends Kait and Del to find their missing loved ones and confront a fearsome new threat.
• Never Fight Alone: Rev up your Lancer and fight your way through the Campaign with a friend over Xbox Live or via local split screen co-op, with the option to play as JD, Kait or Del. Cross Play lets Xbox One and Windows 10 gamers play together in cooperative modes like Campaign, Horde and Co-Op Versus.
• Shared Progression and Achievements with Xbox Play Anywhere across Xbox One and Windows 10: Cloud saves enable you to switch seamlessly between both versions of game, giving you the freedom to play where you choose. Both versions are included with a single purchase.
• Fight through a Dynamic and Deadly Environment: Brace yourself against ferocious windflares that blow away cover, bend your shots and drastically alter the battlefield, forcing you to employ new tactics. As the windflare intensity increases, each enemy confrontation evolves into a brutal fight for survival in this tale of Man vs. Monster.
• New Arsenal of Weapons and Combat Tactics: Pummel your enemies from cover with new close-cover combat moves like yank, vault kick and a bloody new combat-knife execution. Make use of dangerous new weapons, like the Buzzkill and Dropshot, to shoot around and over cover, raining destruction from all angles.
•  The Best “Gears” Multiplayer Experience Yet: Whether you enjoy powering through the co-op Campaign, fending for survival in Horde mode or testing your skills in frenetic Versus Multiplayer matches running in 60 FPS on dedicated servers, “Gears of War 4” is the ultimate game to play with friends.
  • Explosive Versus Multiplayer Action: Compete in intense multiplayer gametypes that reward social, competitive and professional players alike, including new modes like Dodgeball and the premier new competitive “Gears” multiplayer mode, Escalation. Track your progress with the new visible ranking system that drives online matchmaking and lets you stand out for your abilities.  
  • The Next Generation of Horde: Team up with up to four other players and weather the onslaught using class-based skills and dynamic fortifications. For the first time, you can build and deploy defensive weapons and fortifications anywhere on the map.
  • Play with Friends Against AI Foes: Fine-tune your skills in Co-Op Versus, where your match-made team of five squares off against increasingly punishing AI teams.
• The Complete “Gears of War” Collection: For a limited time, “Gears of War 4” (both digital and retail versions) will include the entire Xbox 360 “Gears of War” collection. Play through the original “Gears of War” trilogy and “Gears of War: Judgment” on Xbox One via backwards compatibility, amounting to over 50 hours of “Gears of War” gameplay.