Cliff Bleszinski, the mastermind behind the original Gears of War series, has recommended a significant overhaul for the franchise. Bleszinski believes that the series could be revitalized with a reboot, drawing a parallel to the success of Sony’s God of War reboot in 2018.
Even though Microsoft took ownership of the Gears of War franchise from Epic Games back in 2014, Bleszinski has not lost his connection to the series. He often finds himself revisiting old scenes from the franchise on YouTube. He also offered his expertise to Microsoft for future games, noting that he is in touch with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer.
After the acquisition, Microsoft assigned The Coalition, one of its teams, to manage the Gears series. The team has already released Gears of War 4 and Gears 5 and is reportedly in the development stages of Gears 6. Despite new titles and a change in management, Bleszinski insists that a reboot could infuse fresh energy into the series, much like the God of War reboot did for its respective franchise.
After parting ways with Epic Games, Bleszinski founded Boss Key, a new game development studio. Unfortunately, the studio’s maiden game, LawBreakers, did not find an audience, and the studio subsequently closed down. Currently, he is focusing on a comic series called Scrapper but remains open to consulting on the Gears of War series.
Bleszinski emphasized the deep emotional impact the Gears series has had on its fans, to the extent that some have even inked their bodies with tattoos related to the game. This emotional attachment further underscores the importance of a potential reboot to keep the franchise vibrant and connected with its audience.
Sony’s 2018 God of War reboot proved to be a turning point for the franchise, achieving both commercial and critical acclaim. It breathed new life into the series, suggesting that a similar strategy could work well for Gears of War.
In summary, while Cliff Bleszinski may not be directly involved in the Gears of War series at the moment, his perspective and insights could prove valuable, especially as the series contemplates its future direction. With the notion of a reboot now on the table, it will be interesting to see how Microsoft and The Coalition respond.