Since the Nvidia GeForce Now leak in late 2021, many have been buzzing about what Gears of War 6 might look like. Gears 5 was received well by both players and critics, so it makes sense that its creators would want to capitalize with another sequel. Many other titles from the GeForce Now leak have already been confirmed, like God of War on PC and Kingdom Hearts 4, so Gears 6 being in development seems more likely. Nothing is set in stone, but there's a lot of promise that fan hype might pay off.
The biggest lingering question is how Marcus Fenix and company will defeat another siege by The Swarm. Gears 6 is probably going to wrap up the story building over the past two games. Gears 5 ended on a massive cliffhanger, and the series has a record of telling narratives across a trilogy. Furthermore, the developers will have Unreal Engine 5 to enhance the experience, which might make it challenging to balance new design ideas with engaging aspects of the original trilogy. Based on how the Gears series has developed in the past, there are a few things fans expect for the potential next release.
Unreal Engine 5 Should Color The Coalition's Next Projects
Gears developer The Coalition has said it intends to use Unreal Engine 5. This means there’s likely to be a substantial spike in graphical quality with Gears 6, and it may even be a next-gen exclusive. This would be a huge step for the Gears series due to the engine's photorealistic capabilities, but this might also mark a noticeable change in art direction. The original trilogy had very low color contrast, adding to its gritty, war-torn atmosphere. However, the last two titles have played with the color in a way that altered the tone of the series subtly. The colors in Gears 4 and 5 pop out more than their predecessors, making characters and environment look more distinct. As a result, some of the bleak tone from the original Gears games has been lost.
One reason the Gears series is beloved franchise is its combat flow, and Gears 6 will likely maintain the tactical cover-and-shoot gameplay. There will likely be a few new weapons types that change the way gamers approach battle, as each game has built upon the last in terms of weaponry and enemy versatility. For example, the addition of the Digger Launcher in Gears 3 sent grenades underground that pop up behind barriers, which forced players to constantly move between covers. Better engine quality should improve the kinds of weapons able to be designed for Gear 6.
Gears 6 Will Have to Make Some Tough Choices
The Gears series has an ever-expanding cast of characters, but many fans wonder who the sixth installment will use as the protagonist. Based on the narrative of the past two Gears titles, the probable main character will be Kait Diaz. Her character is integrated into the story’s conflict, having been the main perspective character for the majority of Gears 5. Its cliffhanger ending suggests Gears 6 will utilize her character motivation as the driving force of the plot.
Perhaps the most challenging matter to analyze is how the Gears 5 Dilemma will impact the next title. A choice at the end of Gears 5 will create a difficult challenge for developers, and it’s possible the next game will simply choose one outcome as canon for Gears 6 rather than creating diverging story paths as in the Mass Effect franchise.
As is the case with all game leaks, this should be taken with a grain of salt. The Coalition hasn’t confirmed anything about Gears 6, and even though there's normally about three years between releases for the Gears series, Gears 6 is probably still a long way off. Any development would have been slowed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other global events, which means fans may have to wait at least another year or so before official trailers or announcements. If Gears 6 is anything like its predecessors, it’s likely to be another strong title in a beloved franchise when it finally arrives.
Gears 6 is rumored to be in development.