Gears of War 4 Ending Explained
By Riley Little 11 October 2016
The ending of Gears of War 4 is sure to have had a few fans scratching their heads, which is why we’ve created a post clarifying what was going on in the final moments of the campaign.
Gears of War 4 has finally arrived and with it comes one of the more interesting endings in the franchise’s history. Those that aren’t overly familiar with the series’ lore may be left scratching their heads, however, as the closing seconds of the narrative deliver a blink and miss it revelation that will inevitably shake the entire planet of Sera to its very core. With that in mind, we’ve put together a post that provides a little more insight into the fleeting moments of the campaign.
It should be said that, obviously, SPOILERS can be found below. So those hoping to go into Gears of War 4‘s story untainted will want to steer clear of the ensuing discussion. Still here? Alright, let’s get into it.
The War Is Only Just Beginning
JD Fenix, Kait Diaz, Del Walker, and the remnants of Delta Squad have survived the initial encounter with the Swarm. After learning that living – albeit slightly evolved – versions of the Locust Horde are behind the new threat, it becomes clear that this is only the beginning of something much bigger. Near the endgame, the COG only just learns about the existence of this new enemy, which sets up an inevitable war that leaves Marcus, JD, and the others caught right in the middle. There’s no telling who will survive the ensuing chaos, but the safe bet is that there’s a lot more of it to come.
Even then, there are brief teases of what could be on the way. In one scene it’s revealed that quills from the Swarm are able to change the allegiance of the COG robots, referred to as DeeBees, which means fans should be prepared to be doing continued battle with both factions in future iterations of Gears of War. Additionally, there’s no telling what other threats could spawn from the always unpredictable Horde, leaving plenty of creative license for developer The Coalition moving forward.
Kait Is (Probably) The Granddaughter of the Locust Queen
This was the big reveal in the closing moments of the story. Before Kait is forced to kill her mother, Reyna, in order to stop her from becoming consumed by the Swarm, the dying parent hands her daughter a necklace that’s been passed down through their family. After emerging from the Swarm cave, Kait reveals to her fellow soldiers that the bling belonged to her grandmother, who she has allegedly never met. As the camera cuts to the back of the intricate design on the front of the heirloom, however, the realization hits players that the jewelry being displayed is actually facing the wrong direction – with the Locust cross placed prominently on the opposite side.
This explains why Reyna was never put into a pod to be converted into a lowly Juvie within the Swarm, and it means that Kait could very well be in mortal danger after stopping their plans to convert her mother. Since the group appears keen on restoring order to their altered version of the Horde with the return of a queen (presumably from the same bloodline), there will undoubtedly be ample drama still in store for the group moving forward. Whether or not Kait will become the Swarm’s new leader remains to be seen, but it should make for an interesting turn of events.
Oscar Is Still Alive, But He’s Not The Only One
This one is pretty self-explanatory, but it made for a post-credits scene that was well worth sticking around for. After players are informed that no one from Kait’s village had survived, it’s assumed that Kait’s uncle, Oscar, was amongst those claimed by the Swarm. Evidently, the former COG soldier still had enough fight left in him to break free from the Snatcher that had abducted him – with a single combat knife, no less. Given the humorous dialogue offered by Oscar during the campaign, he should make for an engaging character moving forward.
Another note that can be taken from the first Act of the game is the fact that two members of Kait’s village were training in the South Village at the time of the attacks and, presumably, avoided the ransacking of their home by the Swarm. These individuals were only referred to as McKenzie and Eli, but the fact that they were name dropped makes it a safe assumption that they’ll be resurfacing at some point in the franchise’s future.
There is plenty of slack left behind by The Coalition’s Gears of War 4 for it to be picked up at some point in the future, and there will surely be some twists and turns thrown in there as well. As the franchise progresses, it’ll be important to keep all of these things in mind.
Gears of War 4 arrived for Xbox One and Windows PC on October 11, 2016.
