Xbox Series X just took a big hit with Gears of Wars 6 release date news

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Xbox Series X line-up of exclusive titles isn't looking good

Gears of War 5 Clayton Carmine
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Update: Could Gears of War get a Master Chief Collection treatment? That's the rumor



Xbox Series X owners will not see this major Microsoft exclusive game release anytime soon, ceding potential ground to Sony's PS5. It seems that the next installment in the Gears of War series, which we assume will be titled Gears of War 6, won't be coming anytime soon. At the very least, it makes frantically Googling Xbox Series X restock less of a chore knowing that major titles are still a ways away. 

Franchise developer The Coalition posted an update that offers both good and (possibly) bad news for the next installment in the Gears of War series. The studio is migrating to Unreal Engine 5 for next-gen development. Subsequently, it won't be "announcing any new projects or titles for some time." 

That doesn't mean that Gears 5 content will be abandoned. The dev has confirmed that Operations 7 and 8 are still on the way. Both will include two drops, as well as new characters, maps, and special events. Addressing the transition to the new engine, the post reads:

"As we look to future games, we’re excited to start shifting our resources to next-gen development using Unreal Engine 5. Gears of War has always been at the front of Unreal Engine development – as a breakout 720p title for Xbox 360 through last year’s 120FPS multiplayer update for Xbox Series X|S – and we’re excited to continue that tradition by developing on UE5 for multiple new projects in the coming years...

"Shifting to a new engine is a big undertaking, so we want to be clear that we will not be announcing any new projects or titles for some time."

The news will be a blow to Xbox Series X owners who are still waiting on the delayed console launch title, Halo Infinite. While Xbox Game Pass and Smart Delivery are great features, gamers are eager to see console exclusives roll out. Sony has been delivering on that front with the likes of PS5 exclusives including Returnal, Demon's Souls, and the upcoming Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.  

For now, Xbox fans will have to sit tight and wait.  

Shabana Arif
Shabana Arif

Shabana is T3's News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). As well as contributing to Tom's Guide, she's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies.