Gears 5 is quickly approaching its release and many are excited for the new direction that the series is taking, which includes new modes, a new method of storytelling, and more. This is in comparison with Gears of War 4, which played it fairly safe according to the head of Gears of War series developer The Coalition, Rod Fergusson.
In an interview with Screen Rant, Fergusson discussed this very topic. Specifically, he was asked about the decision to drop the "of War" part of the title in Gears 5 which may have traditionally been called Gears of War 5.
Rod Fergusson stated that he wanted to drop the "of War" part of the title with Gears of War 4 as part of moving on to the next generation of Gears of War games. However, he stated that the marketing team disagreed with the idea and went with Gears of War 4 instead.
The marketing team was more willing to drop "of War" with Gears 5, though. Fergusson said, "Then we started talking about Gears Pop! and Gears Tactics, and it was really clear that as a family it makes more sense." He added encompassing "Gears 5, Gears Pop, Gears Tactics, all part of the Gears of War family" felt appropriate and looking toward the future.
It may be the case that the upcoming Gear of War games are having "of War" dropped from their titles. However, Fergusson clarified that The Coalition "wanted to make sure that the franchise stayed Gears of War," due to expanded works such as the upcoming Gears of War movie. Yet, the ultimate goal for the new games was to change the title appropriately to "modernize" the series.
Ultimately, this was probably a smart move for the Gears of War developer. Fergusson appears very dedicated to the Gears of War fanbase, though he does seem one to appreciate changing up formulas. This could precisely be the reason for Gears Pop!'s and Gears Tactics' existence. The title change for Gears 5 hardly seems to be its most significant change, but it was nonetheless a noteworthy one after six Gears games that included "of War" in their titles.
Gears 5 is launching September 10, 2019, on Xbox One and PC.
Source: Screen Rant