<s>
Gears	B-Device
5	I-Device
:	I-Device
Hivebusters	I-Device
is	O
a	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
expansion	O
pack	O
developed	O
by	O
The	O
Coalition	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Xbox	B-Device
Game	O
Studios	O
for	O
the	O
2019	O
third-person	O
shooter	O
video	O
game	O
Gears	B-Device
5	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Windows	O
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
Series	I-Device
X/S	I-Device
on	O
December	O
15	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
pack	O
is	O
a	O
direct	O
prequel	O
to	O
the	O
Gears	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
:	O
Hivebusters	O
comic	O
book	O
series	O
,	O
and	O
follows	O
the	O
origin	O
story	O
of	O
Scorpio	O
Squad	O
,	O
an	O
ad-hoc	O
team	O
of	O
commandos	O
who	O
embark	O
on	O
suicide	O
missions	O
to	O
combat	O
the	O
threat	O
of	O
the	O
Swarm	O
by	O
infiltrating	O
and	O
sabotaging	O
their	O
Hives	O
through	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
lethal	O
toxins	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gears	B-Device
5	I-Device
:	I-Device
Hivebusters	I-Device
is	O
the	O
first	O
single-player	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
pack	O
for	O
Gears	B-Device
5	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hivebusters	O
consists	O
of	O
a	O
six-chapter	O
story-driven	O
campaign	O
for	O
Gears	B-Device
5	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
pack	O
takes	O
place	O
sometime	O
following	O
the	O
resurgence	O
of	O
the	O
Locust	O
Horde	O
,	O
now	O
reborn	O
as	O
the	O
Swarm	O
,	O
as	O
a	O
threat	O
to	O
the	O
human	O
civilizations	O
of	O
Sera	O
as	O
of	O
Gears	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
4	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
past	O
Gears	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
titles	O
,	O
combat	O
in	O
Hivebusters	O
consists	O
of	O
player-controlled	O
characters	O
engaging	O
in	O
firefights	B-Application
with	O
enemy	O
forces	O
from	O
behind	O
cover	O
within	O
linear	O
shootout	B-Application
arenas	O
and	O
set-pieces	O
,	O
though	O
players	O
may	O
opt	O
to	O
eliminate	O
enemy	O
units	O
through	O
other	O
methods	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
attacking	O
them	O
in	O
melee	O
combat	O
or	O
taking	O
advantage	O
of	O
environmental	O
hazards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
assume	O
control	O
of	O
Scorpio	O
Squad	O
,	O
a	O
trio	O
of	O
playable	O
characters	O
from	O
the	O
"	O
Escape	O
"	O
multiplayer	O
mode	O
of	O
Gears	B-Device
5	I-Device
:	O
Jeremiah	O
Keegan	O
,	O
a	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
Onyx	O
Guard	O
,	O
an	O
elite	O
special	O
operations	O
unit	O
which	O
serves	O
the	O
Coalition	O
of	O
Government	O
(	O
"	O
COG	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
de	O
facto	O
leader	O
of	O
Scorpio	O
Squad	O
;	O
Lahni	O
Kaliso	O
,	O
a	O
COG	O
operative	O
descended	O
from	O
the	O
indigenous	O
peoples	O
of	O
the	O
South	O
Islands	O
who	O
was	O
previously	O
convicted	O
of	O
misconduct	O
;	O
and	O
Leslie	O
"	O
Mac	O
"	O
Macallister	O
,	O
an	O
Outsider	O
delivery	O
driver	O
who	O
lost	O
his	O
village	O
community	O
,	O
including	O
his	O
son	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
emergent	O
Swarm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gears	B-Device
5	I-Device
:	I-Device
Hivebusters	I-Device
is	O
the	O
first	O
single-player	O
DLC	B-Protocol
pack	O
for	O
Gears	B-Device
5	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hivebusters	O
is	O
available	O
as	O
a	O
standalone	O
purchase	O
and	O
is	O
included	O
with	O
Gears	B-Device
5	I-Device
:	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
Edition	O
,	O
which	O
launched	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
also	O
included	O
as	O
a	O
complimentary	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
Game	I-Application
Pass	I-Application
Ultimate	I-Application
tier	O
subscription	O
service	O
on	O
Console	O
,	O
PC	O
and	O
Android	O
devices	O
for	O
subscribers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hivebusters	O
serves	O
as	O
a	O
prequel	O
to	O
the	O
2019	O
comic	O
book	O
series	O
titled	O
Gears	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
:	O
Hivebusters	O
,	O
which	O
takes	O
place	O
sometime	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
pack	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
region	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
Outsider	O
villages	O
of	O
Croya	O
and	O
Bravelle	O
,	O
the	O
latter	O
of	O
which	O
is	O
Mac	O
's	O
former	O
home	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hivebusters	O
is	O
written	O
by	O
Kurtis	O
Wiebe	O
,	O
who	O
also	O
authored	O
the	O
Gears	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
:	O
Hivebusters	O
comic	O
series	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
collected	O
as	O
a	O
graphic	O
novel	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
the	O
pack	O
's	O
release	O
;	O
players	O
who	O
purchase	O
the	O
graphic	O
novel	O
may	O
redeem	O
in-game	O
cosmetic	O
items	O
for	O
use	O
in	O
the	O
multiplayer	O
modes	O
of	O
Gears	B-Device
5	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
,	O
Gears	B-Device
5	I-Device
:	I-Device
Hivebusters	I-Device
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
on	O
all	O
console	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
