With Xbox Series X and Series S consoles launching today, Xbox fans are likely excited to see what first party titles will become available over the coming year. With Halo Infinite delayed for an unknown period of time, players will likely turn to the Gears of War franchise as the next most likely series to make an appearance on the new platforms. And with the end of Gears 5 leaving players on a cliffhanger, Gears 6 seems like it has quite a bit of ground to cover when it comes to concluding the trilogy.
Gears 5 ends with a particularly large cliffhanger and many events to unpack in the coming sequel. Kait and the rest of her companions are effectively left in the rubble of New Ephyra following the Kraken attack with a high amount of casualties, including Jack and either JD or Del (depending on who players chose to save). First Minister Jinn wants to capture Kait and believes that she can be used to control The Swarm. And, as if to make matters worse, Kait must come to terms with the fact that she must kill her own mother in order to protect the world.
While it's currently unknown as to how the repercussions of these Gears 5 events will play out in Gears 6, it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility to begin predicting what will happen to each of the main protagonists. This seems to become easier when players stop and analyze what these characters have been through over the course of the previous two Gears of War games, and the mechanics The Coalition has implemented.
Kait
It seems that of all the characters that will make up the party of protagonists in Gears 6, Kait will be the most important. Gears 6 will see the conclusion of Kait’s arc that began in Gears of War 4, and will likely force her to confront her mother and Queen of the Swarm, Reyna. Her resurrection and coronation as the Swarm Queen only became possible when Kait accepted Niles’ offer to sever her connection to the Swarm hivemind; an event that will likely plague Kait throughout the next game.
While this confrontation seems like an inevitability, the means by which this conflict is resolved could appear in a multitude of ways. Gears 5 introduced players to the concept of choice in the Gears of War franchise by making players decide if they were going to say JD or Del. Once Reyna is ultimately defeated, it seems like there could be an opportunity for The Coalition to choose if Kait will take her mother’s spot, or if she will leave the Swarm directionless and without a leader.
Marcus Fenix
For many players, it’s likely surprising that Marcus is still alive and fighting the Locust. Marcus has been through a lot of emotional trauma over the course of the Gears of War series. While he may have defeated Myrrah and the Locust/Lambent threats in Gears of War 3, he has lost countless loved ones over the years like Dom, Anya, Jack, and possibly JD depending on the player’s choice.
With this constant state of loss and sacrifice on his mind, it seems likely that players may have to endure his death in the next Gears game. But when it comes to Sergeant Marcus Fenix, there’s little doubt he’ll go out with a roar rather than a whimper.
JD and Del
Perhaps the most interesting role in Gears 6 will be that of either JD or Del. Both of these characters took on very different roles from one another in the story of Gears 5. Del was a steadfast companion and partner to Kait in her journey to discover the truth of her family’s past. On the other end of this was JD, who took on a slightly antagonistic role and was committed to being a COG soldier that followed orders after his injuries from the Hammer of Dawn.
However, players that have completed Gears 5 know that only one of these characters made it out of the Battle of New Ephyra alive. This choice will seemingly affect some of the storytelling in Gears 6 and will likely cause some players to question if who they saved was the best option. Perhaps Del could have a change of heart and wish to realign himself with First Minister Jinn. Or perhaps JD can remember why he deserted the COG in the first place and focus on getting Kait some closure. It seems like Gears fans will just have to wait and see how it all shakes out.
Gears 6 is rumored to be in development.