Highlights
- A new rumor suggests that the next mainline installment of Gears of War may not release for several more years, potentially in 2026.
- The Coalition, the developer of Gears of War, has undergone changes and has been working on other projects, including collaboration with Epic Games on Unreal Engine 5 tech demos.
- There is uncertainty about the future of the Gears franchise and The Coalition, with rumors of canceled projects and a possible shift in focus towards Gears 6 or a new IP. Fans may have to wait a while before learning more.
While the next mainline installment of Xbox's flagship Gears of War franchise has yet to be officially confirmed, a new rumor suggests it may be looking to release in several years. This new rumor comes a month after a previous one that hinted at the next Gears of War title going fully open world after 2019's Gears 5 opened the door with larger explorable areas.
This Fall will be four years since the very well regarded launch of Gears 5. Ever since the release of the game's celebrated Hivebusters DLC in 2020, Xbox and Gears fans have been wondering what developer The Coalition has been up to. A lot has changed with the studio since, as former Studio Head Rod Fergusson had left The Coalition in 2020 to oversee Diablo at Blizzard leading up to this year's launch of Diablo 4. Over the past few years the studio has been somewhat active, working with Epic Games to create Unreal Engine 5 tech demos, most notably The Matrix Awakens, showcasing the visual capabilities of Epic's brand-new game engine.
The future of Gears has been up in the air for a while, but a new rumor could provide some semblance of clarity regarding Xbox's premier third-person shooter franchise. On ArtStation, a popular platform for artists in the entertainment industry to showcase their portfolios, a Senior Concept Artist and Costume Illustrator by the name of David Masson San Gabriel has indicated working with The Coalition on an unannounced project releasing in 2026. In the past, San Gabriel has served as a costume illustrator and concept artist on a number of big-name Hollywood productions, including Marvel and DC films, and is also working on Skydance's upcoming Captain America and Black Panther game.
After Gears 5, The Coalition reportedly sought to take a break from the Gears franchise with two new IPs before another rumor suggested the cancelation of both projects as the studio shifted to Gears 6. While none of this is officially confirmed, the 2026 window mentioned by San Gabriel is very much in line with this timeline if The Coalition did indeed make this rumored shift more recently. Since the usual development cycle of a Gears of War title is typically three to four years, it seems increasingly likely that there may have been some sort of internal cancelation or major pivot, as 2026 would mark seven years between projects for the studio.
There's also the possibility that The Coalition is still working on a new IP instead of Gears 6. Earlier this year, JD Fenix voice actor Liam McIntyre revealed that he has yet to hear anything from The Coalition regarding Gears 6. However, it may have just been too early in production to get voice talent involved. If 2026 really is the target year for whatever it is The Coalition is cooking up, it'll surely be a while before Xbox and Gears fans will be able to learn more.
Source: ComicBook