Split-screen on PC

Gears of War

Up to 8 players on one PC, with controllers, keyboard and mouse or several keyboards and mice.

8Verified handler

Handler “Gears of War Redux” by birden, version 4

P4+4 more players

What works

With Nucleus Co-op, up to 8 players can play Gears of War together on one PC, each in their own part of the screen, with controllers, keyboard and mouse or several keyboards and mice. The free community handler “Gears of War Redux” by birden does the setup and was checked by hub moderators: version 4, updated 27 Jun 2026. Gears of War is a shooter game from 2006.

Players8
ControllersSupported
Keyboard and mouseSupported
Several keyboards and miceOne per player
Hub moderatorsVerified

How to play Gears of War split screen on PC

Get Nucleus Co-op
Download Nucleus Co-op, free for Windows 10 and 11, and unzip it into its own folder, for example C:\NucleusCo-op. There is no installer.
Keep it out of Program Files, your user folder and OneDrive.
Download Nucleus Co-op
Install the Gears of War handler
In Nucleus Co-op, search the Hub for Gears of War and install its handler, or download the handler file from this page and drop it on the Nucleus window. Then show Nucleus where Gears of War is installed.
Download the handler file (.nc)
Take a seat
Each player presses a button on their own controller to join and takes a spot on the screen. Pick a layout that fits your players.
Playing with several keyboards and mice? Press End once everything is in place to give each window its own cursor.
Launch and connect
Press Launch: Nucleus opens one copy of Gears of War per player and lays the windows out on your screen. Then link them in game, usually one player hosts a LAN or online session and the others join it. The handler notes say how.

What you need

A Windows 10 or 11 PC
Nucleus Co-op runs on Windows only. System requirements
Gears of War for Windows
Installed on that PC. Nucleus starts every player's window from that one install.
Nucleus Co-op, free
With .NET Framework 4.7.2 or later and the Visual C++ 2015–2022 runtimes (x86 and x64). Download
Something to play with
One controller per player, or one keyboard and mouse per player. Controllers · Keyboards and mice
A PC that can run 8 copies
Each player runs their own copy of Gears of War, so the PC carries several times the usual load. Lower the graphics settings if it struggles. Performance tips
A multiplayer mode
Nucleus links the windows through the game's own LAN or online mode; the handler takes care of it.

Handler notes

The handler has been updated to support Gears of War Redux by Punished_Wolf (which is a better version of A.I Bot Mod, that was support by the old handler). As of the release of this handler update, it is only being shared on the GOW PC Discord server: https://discord.gg/gearsofwarpc. If the invite link expires, you'll need to find a new one.

Video tutorial/showcasing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dumf4GCyAoQ

Supports multiple mice/keyboards and controllers.

Made with Talos91.

About Gears of War

A third-person tactical shooter from Epic, running on the Unreal Engine 3. Gears of War thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet. Unlike other shooters, Gears of War is all about teamwork in a big way. All game modes, levels and scenarios are designed specifically to encourage co-operative play, whether it be with A.I. partners or human players (with A.I. teammates designed with specific strengths, weaknesses and personalities.) On top of that, voice recognition will be available for players, and obviously voice chat to discuss strategy with your friends. In addition to voice chat, gamers will be able to experience individualized matchmaking, view player statistics, earn player achievements, customize their games, and build and personalize their gamer profiles over Xbox Live.

Summary from IGDB