Gears of War 6 Won't Take 7 Years, The Coalition Promises

Remember how long we waited for a new Gears of War? Seven whole years between Gears 5 and Gears of War: E-Day. That's the longest hiatus in the series' history. But good news: The Coalition's studio head Mike Crump says we won't be waiting that long again.

Speaking to the BBC, Crump promised that E-Day will set a "great foundation" for the future, and that "the next game will not take nearly as long." That's a relief, especially since Gears 5 ended on a massive cliffhanger that fans are still waiting to see resolved. E-Day is a prequel, so it doesn't answer that, but at least the next chapter might arrive sooner.

To put the seven-year wait in perspective: the original Gears trilogy all released within a five-year span. Gears 4 came three years after Judgment, and Gears 5 came three years after Gears 4. So yeah, the gap between 5 and E-Day was pretty significant.

Of course, there's a darker side to this story. Reports ahead of E-Day's launch suggested fears that Microsoft would lay off staff following the release, as part of the company's planned 3,200 job cuts by the end of the fiscal year. The game's story director was laid off just before launch. Crump acknowledged this, saying: "What I say to myself, what I say to the team, is we just need to focus on the things that we can control." He added, "For us that's about shipping a great game that people are going to love and I feel like, as a team, we've done that."

So while the future of Gears looks brighter in terms of wait times, the human cost behind the scenes is real. The Coalition clearly delivered a great game with E-Day – our review says it "brings Gears back to the cutting edge of shooters." But the layoffs cast a shadow over the celebration.

For now, fans can take comfort that the next Gears won't be seven years away. Crump's promise gives hope that the series will move forward at a steadier pace. But will Microsoft's restructuring affect that? Only time will tell.

What do you think? Are you relieved that the next Gears won't take as long, or are you worried about the impact of layoffs on the studio? Let us know in the comments.