Do you know that Gears of Conflict isn’t set on Earth? That’s information to some players, who’re beginning to uncover numerous eccentricities concerning the collection as they dive into Gears of War: E-Day, the most recent entry. The distinctive Gears setting specifically is the premise of a crockpot fan concept as previous because the collection itself: that heightened in-universe gravity is why each character is so comically jacked. However in keeping with lead creatives on E-Day, there isn’t any reality to that concept by any means.
Gears of Conflict takes place on a planet named Sera. Although it’s Earth-like usually composition, Sera is distinct in notable methods: It has two moons, days final for 26 hours, and years run a mean of 440 days. Additionally, the middle of the planet is hole and residential to a horde of mutants hellbent on the destruction of humanity. (E-Day explores the primary day of mentioned destruction.)
So the idea goes like this: As a result of planetary traits, Sera should have a stronger gravitational pull than normal Earth gravity. (This is able to additionally clarify why Gears of Conflict characters can barely soar.) Since these higher-than-standard gravitational forces are continually bearing down on human our bodies, biology compensates by main them to pack on ridiculous quantities of muscle mass.
“That’s the primary time I’ve heard of that,” Gears of Conflict: E-Day artwork director Aryan Hanbeck instructed Polygon throughout an interview at Gamescom 2026.
I’m certainly not a Gears of Conflict lore scholar. However I’ve been enjoying the video games on and off for twenty years, and have by no means heard the video games point out the Gravity That Makes You Jacked. Even trawling the assorted Wikis and official pages for Gears of Conflict lore has turned up nothing to verify or deny it. However, this concept stubbornly pops up in corners of the fandom 12 months after 12 months. You needn’t look far to search out Reddit posts regurgitating it, often paired with the suggestion that Marcus, Dom, and all the opposite COG troopers (or “Gears”) are merely simply loaded up on steroids.
The reality, a minimum of in keeping with Gears of Conflict model director Nicole Fawcette, is much extra right down to Ear- uhhh, I imply Sera: meals. A lot meals. Sufficient every day meals to individually feed three absolutely grown grownup human folks.
“There’s references within the books that they eat like 6,000 energy a day and stuff like that,” Fawcette mentioned. “I believe that is in all probability extra in line than the gravity. Sera is an Earth-like planet, however I do not suppose we have put any laborious lore when it comes to a gravitational area.”
There’s one other hole of logic within the gravity concept. What concerning the civilians? If Sera’s gravity is meant to clarify why Gears have tree trunks for forearms, why are the common folks regular-people-sized? Wouldn’t they too stroll round with traps just like the Andes? Whether or not Earth or Sera gravity, Gears are topic to intense coaching regimens that put all 6,000 of these every day energy to work.
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“[Gears are] carrying the burden of the armor as effectively. They’re on this big tank-like armor, so that they’re all the time gonna be a bit larger than everyone else,” Fawcette mentioned. “That’s the allure of Gears, that character design. That’s one thing we wished to keep up.”
“We all the time suppose that the Gears are just a little bit bigger than life,” Hanbeck mentioned. “Like if a Gear walked into this room, we might be like, ‘Oh my God.’ So, you recognize, we wish them to really feel just a little extra jacked. […] It is a part of the mystique.”
“We’re debunking the gravity,” Hanbeck added.