The studio currently responsible for the Gears of War brand, The Coalition, is transitioning to next-gen development with "multiple new projects" powered by Unreal Engine 5. Epic Games showcased Unreal Engine 5 approximately one year ago, using a PlayStation 5 tech demo that boasted bleeding edge lighting effects and graphics.
Unreal Engine 5's capabilities remain somewhat of a mystery, however, even though it's confirmed to power a handful of games. The engine will give life to MMORPG ArcheAge II, for example. Developer Ninja Theory has also noted the highly-anticipated Senua's Saga: Hellblade II will run on Unreal Engine 5. In-engine footage shown of the sequel has managed to impress several times over, but actual gameplay continues to elude the public eye. Now yet another developer has announced plans to utilize Epic Games' newest engine technology, though the wait for concrete details about works-in-progress could go on for quite a long time.
A blog post from The Coalition on Gears of War's website notes that the studio is now shifting focus to "next-gen development." The post does not offer much in the way of specifics, but The Coalition confirms it will use Unreal Engine 5 to develop "multiple new projects in the coming years." Because the development studio must focus on learning brand-new technology, the move to Unreal Engine 5 is bound to prove a major undertaking. As such, The Coalition stresses that new projects won't be announced "for some time."
Given the newness of Unreal Engine 5, it comes as no surprise that The Coalition will need time to adjust, especially since whatever the team does next will also have to take Xbox's latest hardware into consideration. The studio has already had a bit of practice with the console, though, thanks to its work on Xbox Series X|S upgrades for both Gears 5 and Gears Tactics.
Founded in 2010 under the name Zipline Studios, The Coalition gained stewardship of the Gears of War IP several years ago, with 2015's Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, a remaster, serving as its first project for the beloved brand. The Vancouver-based crew has since developed Gears of War 4 and Gears 5, the latter of which continues to receive post-launch support. Interestingly, The Coalition also produced the turn-based title Gears Tactics in collaboration with British developer Splash Damage.
Source: Gears of War