Modder ‘c3pohumancyborgrelations’ has released an HD Texture Pack for the unofficial PC port of Gears of War 2 from Santiquiroz. However, it should also work with other PC recomps, including COGBox, which we have already covered.

The game uses three types of DDS textures: BC1, BC3, and R8. Each type has its own way of storing image data. The textures also need mipmaps and alpha data to work. This is very important because of a limit in the Unreal Engine 3 code used by the Xbox 360 version. Without mipmaps, the new DDS files will not load.

The creator used Topaz Gigapixel and its Wonder AI 3.5 model to upscale all the textures. The AI used a high-strength setting. The new PNG files were then turned back into DDS files with chaNNer. Each texture type had to be handled on its own, with mipmaps and alpha data added.

The pack also includes the original R8 files. These do not seem to affect the game, apart from what may be the alpha data for the main menu. So, they were not upscaled.

The pack also allows you to use keyboard and mouse icons or PlayStation button icons. To do this, copy the files from the icon folder you want. Place them next to the new DDS files in the replace folder. Then open the controls menu and pick the icon type you want.

To install it, place the texture_packs folder in the main folder of Santiquiroz’s recomp. Then open the texture pack menu and select dump-4x.

For those wondering, this HD Texture Pack is not compatible with Gears of War 2: Hollow.

First, the Gears of War 2 recomp runs in a 64-bit address space and uses DirectX 12 or Vulkan. GoW2: Hollow uses 32-bit DirectX 9. This gives the recomp a more stable base and helps it handle large AI texture packs like mine.

Second, GoW2: Hollow, like the unofficial Gears of War 3: Jacinto PC port, is based on a leaked development build from early 2008. This build came out before Gears of War 2 was released on Xbox 360. As a result, it is missing some final art work, level details, and sounds. It also has bugs that can block progress or trap players. Many of these issues are still present as of November 8, 2026.

Third, GoW2: Hollow has not had an update since its launch in July 2026. The Xbox 360 recomp scene, on the other hand, keeps moving forward every day. It offers a stronger base that is more likely to last. That’s why I chose it for my AI texture pack.

You can go ahead and download the pack from this link.

Sadly, the modder has not shared any before/after comparisons. However, you can find some screenshots below that have the new overhauled textures.

Have fun!