Gears of War maker shifts to Unreal Engine 5, winds down Gears 5 development

Development on Gears 5 is winding down, says The Coalition, as the studio shifts to projects using Unreal Engine 5 for the latest console and PC technology.

Gears 5, which launched for Windows PC and Xbox One in September 2019, still has new content on the way, The Coalition said. Plans include Operation 7 and Operation 8 (operations are Gears 5’s version of a season), with two content drops each, bringing in new characters and new maps. Operation 6 made its second content drop in mid-April.

Going forward, The Coalition says it will be developing with Unreal Engine 5 “for multiple new projects in the coming years.”

Gears 5 got an Xbox Series X upgrade and re-launch when that console arrived in November, and The Coalition added Gears 5: Hivebusters, a single-player campaign expansion, on December 15. Gears Tactics, the turn-based strategy adaptation of the Gears of War franchise, also launched for Xbox One and Xbox Series X on Nov. 10, after launching on Windows PC the preceding spring.

“Gears of War has always been at the front of Unreal Engine development,” The Coalition said, “and we’re excited to continue that tradition by developing on UE5 for multiple new projects in the coming years.”

The Coalition, formerly known as Black Tusk Studios, took over development of the Gears of War franchise when Microsoft bought the property from Epic Games in 2014. The acquisition included hiring Rod Fergusson, the executive producer of the first three Gears of War games for Epic Games. Fergusson last year joined Blizzard Entertainment to lead development of its Diablo series.

Source: https://www.polygon.com/22428890/gears-of-war-unreal-engine-5-development-gears-5-the-coalition-operation-7-8-release-dates