Gears of War: E-Day Devs Say Next Game Won't Take 7 Years

Ever feel like you've been waiting forever for a new Gears of War? You're not alone. Gears 5 dropped back in 2019, and we've been stuck in cover ever since. But now that Gears of War: E-Day is finally out on Xbox Series X|S and PC, the big question is: will we have to wait another seven years for the next one?

The Coalition says no. Studio head Mike Crump told the BBC that E-Day provides a "great foundation" for future games, and he claimed "the next game will not take nearly as long" to make. That's a relief, right? Seven years is a long time to hold your breath.

Crump also addressed concerns about the studio's future amid mass layoffs at Xbox. He said the team focuses on what they can control: shipping a great game people will love. "We've got a great team here," he added. "And the leadership team in particular has worked together for upwards of 20 years. So there's definitely a continuity of knowledge and experience."

So far, The Coalition seems to have dodged the worst of the "Xbox reset" layoffs, but fans are still nervous. After all, Xbox has been shuffling studios around—consolidating under Bethesda and Activision, and even Halo has a new team at Activision rumored to be within Sledgehammer Games. It's a turbulent time for Xbox exclusives.

Speaking of exclusives, Gears of War: E-Day launched day one on Xbox Game Pass, which means sales numbers might not tell the whole story. Crump isn't sweating that. He told the BBC that success isn't just about sales—it's about showcasing what Xbox can do. "We measure things like, are we showcasing the platform? Are we pushing the hardware to its limits?" he said. "Our goal basically is to be the best-looking game on the Xbox and really show the industry what's possible with our hardware."

That's a bold goal, but if anyone can push the Series X to its limits, it's The Coalition. They've always been wizards with Unreal Engine. And with E-Day laying the groundwork, maybe we won't have to wait another console generation for the next chapter.

So what do you think? Are you glad the next Gears might come sooner, or are you still worried about Xbox's studio shake-ups? Let us know in the comments!