SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 23 ― Originally scheduled for September 2, the mobile Gears of War game with a Funko Pop collectible figurine aesthetic is available for iOS and Android nearly two weeks early.

Blending the look of cute Funko Pop bobblehead figurines with the rough, tough tone of Xbox's Gears of War franchise, Gears Pop! has launched on iOS and Android.

It's a free-to-play strategy game that asks players to wait three hours between opening crucial loot chests used to advance character progression; alternatively, fans can buy into a microtransaction mechanic to get things going at a faster rate.

Supported by the Xbox Live network, Gears Pop allows players to unlock achievements on their Xbox gaming profiles.

The game has players assemble a team of characters, deploying them and pieces of battlefield equipment against an equal number of enemies while defending their own territory and emplacements.

In that way, it appears to have taken some inspiration from Clash Royale, Supercell's successful cross-platform mobile game which has been a consistent top earner since its introduction in 2016.

Announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June 2018, Gears Pop! had its release date moved up during an official Inside Xbox Gamescom 2019 showcase presentation on August 19. ― AFP-Relaxnews