Spencer: Gears of War for Xbox One to Return to Series’ Roots, Not a Reboot

The next entry in the Gears of War franchise, which is being developed my Microsoft's new internal studio Black Tusk, will likely return to the series' darker roots. At least that's what Head of Xbox Phil Spencer is pushing for.

In an interview with IGN, the Microsoft exec told the outlet he loves the franchise for its "epic scale, the settings that I was in, the massive destruction moments. It was more what I would call soulful and maybe even a little dark." And he hopes the series returns to this style, as he's spoken with franchise lead Rod Fergusson about how Gears has slowly become "a parody of itself."

Because the franchise has gotten so popular over the years, Spencer believes the team at Black Tusk needs to try and get back to what made the original concept so appealing and special. "I think [about] the story and the setting and what they’re going through as a band. Gears of War, the name really meant something to what that game was about. We need to get back to that."

The Xbox boss also made it clear that this won't be a reboot but instead a new proper entry in the series. Despite the fact that "Judgment didn’t hit everybody’s needs and desires," Spencer is confident the series can continue on, thanks largely to the new development team. "Rod’s there to really help with the continuity. We can really invest in this thing for the next decade, which is how I want to think about it," he added.

Are you excited to see what Black Tusk creates with its first stab at the Gears of War franchise? What direction do you hope the studio takes the popular cover-based shooter?