Gears 5 Features WWE Legend Batista As A Free Playable Character

Dave Bautista, better known by his WWE nickname Batista, confirmed on Twitter earlier this week that he will officially become part of the Gears of War universe later this month. The wrestling star will be playable in Gears 5 multiplayer.

Since the announcement that a Gears of War film was in the works, fans around the world have expressed time and time again their hope that Batista would play the role of Marcus Fenix. Even Batista himself considered the opportunity a “dream role” of his.

We still don’t know whether or not this means Batista will play Fenix in the Gears of War movie, but chances are looking good that he will. According the Gears of War game director Rod Fergusson, Batista recorded over seven hundred voice lines for Gears 5, with some of them including elements of ‘The Animal’ Batista as much as Marcus Fenix.

Batista’s presence in Gears 5 was also made possible thanks to a partnership between Xbox and WWE. Currently, there’s a special countdown to when fans can start playing as Batista’s Marcus Fenix in-game, as well as some behind-the-scenes content with Batista and Gears 5 on the WWE gaming channel, UpUpDownDown. The main event is the WWE Network’s Clash of Champions, which is scheduled for Sunday, September 15, after which Batista goes live on Gears 5 multiplayers as Marcus Fenix.

The best part is that you don’t have to shell out any cash or currency to unlock Batista for Gears 5 multiplayer. All you have to do is play any version of the game - including the versions available through the Xbox Game Pass - from September 15 onwards. However, Batista will only be unlockable until October 28, so fans have a month to secure him as a playable character.

Gears 5 launches tomorrow, September 6 on Xbox One and PC for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate holders, and Sept 10 for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Gears 5 is also available on the Microsoft Store for pre-order.