What's next for Microsoft's Gears of War steward?
After Gears Tactics and Gears 5, The Coalition has a bit of a question mark hanging over it. Given the ending of Gears 5, a Gears 6 is all but inevitable — but is it the next game from The Coalition? Maybe not, according to this LinkedIn profile listing.
A developer working for The Coalition recently updated their LinkedIn profile to note that they're working on levels for a new IP. IP stands for Intellectual Property, and generally refers to a specific game franchise. Gears 6 therefore wouldn't necessarily be a new IP, which if correct, could indicate that The Coalition's next game is something new entirely.
The Coalition recently demonstrated their work with the Unreal Engine, building a new tech demo to showcase UE5 on the Xbox Series X. The Coailtion began life as Black Tusk, and went as far to show off a CGI trailer for a game that was shelved in favor of taking over the Gears of War IP, when Microsoft picked it up from Epic Games.
Since changing its name to The Coalition, the studio has worked on Gears of War 4, Gears 5, and Gears Tactics, garnering consistent success and acclaim. Many of us have wondered what the talented team could make if they stepped away from Gears for a little while, and it certainly seems as though the studio is at least exploring what that could mean.
There's every chance that the LinkedIn listing refers to a new IP from another Microsoft partner team, however, such as Contraband from Avalanche, or one of Microsoft's other upcoming Xbox games. Microsoft's studios have been known to contribute to each other's projects when needs arise, but the possibility of a new IP from The Coalition certainly sparks the imagination, either way.
What do you think? Would you like to see The Coalition tackle a new IP? Does Gears of War need a bit of a rest? Or would you like to see Gears 6 first? Hit the comments, let us know.
You can grab Gears 5 on Xbox Game Pass, or direct from the Microsoft Store for $35.
Thanks @BethWilder26 for the tip.
Kicking it up a gear
Gears 5
The latest Gears.
Gears 5 delivered some much-needed depth to the bloody franchise, opening the world up with progression layers, open-world areas, and vehicular traversal.
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