Heavy Gear

Heavy Gear is a mecha science fiction game universe published since 1994 by Canadian publisher Dream Pod 9. It includes a tabletop tactical wargame, a role-playing game, and a combat card game (Heavy Gear Fighter). The setting is also known through the PC game incarnations published by Activision in 1997 and 1999, which were developed after Activision lost the rights to the Battletech/MechWarrior series. It also spawned a 40-episode, 3D-animated TV series in 2001, which featured a much simplified version of the universe developed in the role-playing game. The background universe of the game is very detailed – more than a hundred books and game accessories have been published since 1994. A continual epic storyline runs throughout all of the game's material, with new publications moving chronologically along the timeline. The game is best known for its humanoid combat vehicles (or mecha) – the Gears and Striders used by the military forces in the setting.