Xbox Series X owners will not see the release of this major Microsoft exclusive anytime soon, ceding its potential to Sony's PS5 The next installment in the Gears of War series (likely titled "Gears of War 6") will not be released anytime soon. It seems unlikely. At least, knowing that the Xbox Series X is still a long way off from being restocked will make the frantic Googling less painful.

Franchise developer The Coalition has posted an update offering both good and (presumably) bad news about the next installment in the Gears of War series. The studio is moving to Unreal Engine 5 for development on next-generation consoles. Accordingly, they "will not be announcing any new projects or titles for some time."

That does not mean that Gears 5 content will be abandoned. The developer has confirmed that Operations 7 and 8 are still in the works. Both will include two drops, as well as new characters, maps, and special events. Regarding the transition to the new engine, the post says:

"We are excited to begin shifting resources to next-gen development using Unreal Engine 5 for future games... Gears of War broke out as a 720p title for the Xbox 360, and we are excited to be working with Unreal Engine 5 for the next generation of consoles, Last year, we delivered a 120FPS multiplayer update for the Xbox Series X|S.

"I want to make it clear that we will not be announcing any new projects or titles for a while, as the transition to a new engine is a big undertaking.

This news will be a blow to Xbox Series X owners who are still waiting for the delayed console launch title, Halo Infinite. Xbox Game Pass and Smart Delivery are great features, but gamers are console eagerly awaiting the rollout of exclusive titles. In that regard, Sony offers PS5 exclusives Returnal, Demon's Souls, and the upcoming Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

For now, Xbox fans will have to wait and see.