Delta Squad

Lore & Background

Two years after humanity's stronghold at Jacinto was destroyed to eradicate the Locust Horde, Delta Squad operates from the CNV Sovereign, a helicopter carrier serving as their mobile base at sea. With Chairman Prescott missing and the COG disbanded, the squad faces a new threat: the Lambent, an infestation of Imulsion-corrupted humans and creatures. Their mission shifts from survival to resolution after Prescott reveals on the ship that Marcus's father, Adam Fenix, is alive but captive on Azura. The squad must locate fuel at Halvo Bay and Mercy Township to power a submarine capable of breaching the artificial hurricane protecting Azura. During these operations, they witness civilians turning into Lambent and face coordinated attacks by Queen Myrrah's forces.

In Their Own Story

The campaign begins with Chairman Prescott arriving on the CNV Sovereign before a surprise Lambent attack kills Captain Michaelson and mortally wounds him. Before dying, Prescott entrusts Marcus Fenix with an encryption disc revealing Adam Fenix is alive on Azura. The squad fights to Anvil Gate to decrypt the disc, learning they need Imulsion fuel found at Halvo Bay. In Mercy Township, they discover humans becoming Lambent; Dom sacrifices himself in a massive explosion to save the team from Locust and Lambent forces. Pressing onward to Char, they ally with Stranded leader Aaron Griffin to secure more Imulsion despite heavy casualties among civilians. Finally reaching Azura, Delta shuts down the maelstrom barrier. Inside the luxury bunker, Adam Fenix reveals he created an Imulsion countermeasure but had to infect himself to test it. As the radiation wave disintegrates all Imulsion life across Sera, Adam dies. Marcus kills Queen Myrrah with Dom's commando knife as the Lambent turn to dust and the Locust crystallize.

Reader's Guide

In Gears of War 3, players control members of Delta Squad through a third-person shooter emphasizing cover mechanics and squad tactics. The player can carry four weapons: one pistol, grenades, and two primary firearms. A key mechanic is the 'active reload,' where hitting a button as a cursor aligns with a marked section on the HUD speeds up reloading and increases damage and knockback; missing this window jams the weapon. Health is represented by a blood-colored 'crimson omen' that dissipates when out of fire, but excessive damage causes a 'bleed-out' state requiring revival within seconds—unless playing on Insane difficulty where death is immediate. Players can tag enemies to focus ally fire or swap weapons and ammo with allies. Experience points are earned through kills, executions, reviving teammates, and winning medals, unlocking multiplayer characters and skins.

Did You Know?

• Gears of War 3 was released on September 20, 2011, after being delayed from its original April 8 release date.
• The story for Gears of War 3 was written by science fiction author Karen Traviss.
• Dom Santiago sacrifices himself with an explosion to wipe out Locust and Lambent forces while the squad is in Mercy Township.
• Adam Fenix creates an Imulsion countermeasure but must infect himself with Imulsion to test it, leading to his disintegration when activated.
• The game sold over 3 million copies and was the second best-selling game in the U.S. upon release.