Like with most things in games, Gears of War popularized the cover mechanic but did not invent it. The cover system was inspired by KillSwitch (https://en.wiki

Like with most things in games, Gears of War popularized the cover mechanic but did not invent it. The cover system was inspired by KillSwitch (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_Switch_(video_game) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_Switch_(video_game)), and there are earlier titles like Win Back that feature cover systems. From the Wikipedia article... In the design of Gears of War, lead developer Cliff Bleszinski of Epic Games credits Kill Switch's cover system as one of the influences they put into the game's design, as Kill Switch's lead designer Chris Esaki was employed by Epic Games and was involved in the development of Gears of War.