Shortly after Cliff Bleszinski announced his departure from Epic Games many expected the talented Design Director to take up employment at a new outfit. However, a full two years has gone by, and while Bleszinski has still been a pretty vocal member of the gaming community, he has yet to announce any forthcoming projects.
That will change very soon, however, as Bleszinski confirms that his future plans will be unveiled within the next 7 days. What exactly those plans may be is still a mystery, but it appears Bleszinski is finally ready to get back in the saddle.
Ultimately, there are two likely scenarios for Bleszinski at this point: either he took up residence at a pre-existing studio, in a presumably high-ranking position, or he started a development studio of his own. It's also possible that the Gears of War creator has gone into consulting, but that seems the least interesting of all likely scenarios.
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In past interviews, Bleszinski has expressed an interest in developing digital experiences specifically for the PC - an opinion informed by the changing climate of the industry. He may have been away from development, but Bleszinski has kept his eye on the industry and seen the growth of digital distribution and community interaction.
“PC is where I’m going to wind up. That’s where the community is. The trend will always be the core. If I start a studio, I want a community manager there day one. I want weekly video or podcasts; I want task lists available on the subreddit."
Whether those ideas are still in Bleszinski's plans is unclear, but we would be surprised if his announcement didn't include a fair bit of bombast. This is the guy who created the unholy union of guns and chainsaws after all.
Perhaps the juiciest possibility of them all — and this is purely a dream scenario for fans — is that Bleszinski was wooed out of retirement by his former colleague Rod Fergusson. After leaving Epic, Fergusson spent some time at Irrational Games helping them get BioShock Infinite out the door, but now he's taken up residence at Microsoft's Black Tusk Studios. With that in mind, it's not inconceivable that Fergusson used his relationship with Bleszinski to convince him as to why Black Tusk is the best fit for him in the future. Oh, and did we mention Black Tusk is working on the new Gears of War?
Obviously, a scenario where Bleszinski returns to the franchise that made him a household name is a stretch, but something pulled him out of his self-imposed hiatus. And whatever is, Bleszinski seems pretty adamant about cluing us into that story, teasing not just a reveal of his next creative endeavor but why this particular project beat out all others.
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Look for more details on Cliff Bleszinski's new project/game/studio within the next 7 days.
What would you like to see Cliff Bleszinski do next? Do you think he should join an existing team or start his own studio?
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Source: Cliff Bleszinski — Twitter
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