RELAX! THE SKY IS NOT FALLING ON GEARS.
RELAX! THE SKY IS NOT FALLING ON GEARS.
When news broke on February 5th that Rod Ferguson, Studio Head of The Coalition, would be departing for Blizzard in March, there was an epic meltdown online. Comments like ‘Gears is doomed” were quite commonplace. But, here’s the thing. That “doom and gloom, sky is falling, the end is nigh” attitude is completely silly and unhinged. Is it ideal to lose the Studio Head of an AAA franchise? Of course not, but these things happen. In the gaming industry, veterans move onto different opportunities; it’s a part of the business. Maybe they just want to try a new challenge, or express creative talents differently. Perhaps job location and financials are a motivating factor; money does talk after all. Sometimes, there isn’t a clear-cut reason; Maybe it was just time for a change. The point is, this isn’t a “sound the alarms” situation for The Coalition. There is no huge controversy, or unseemly thing happening here, just someone taking a new job somewhere else.
The Coalition is in great hands. Many veterans and senior creative workers are still at the studio, having crafted and/or overseen several Gears titles (Gears 4, 5, POP, and Tactics). While we’d prefer to have the head architect at the helm, I have faith they will find an excellent individual to replace Ferguson. Gears is a pillar franchise for Xbox; it isn’t going anywhere. With the critical and commercial success of Gears 5, impressive Gamepass numbers of the game, and excitement for the upcoming Gears Tactics, the franchise is in a great place. Rod left it in a great place, and in great hands. Matt Booty made the media rounds immediately after news broke of Fergusons’ departure, and made it crystal clear that the Gears franchise isn’t going anywhere, and is a key pillar for Xbox. He also expressed the upmost confidence in The Coalition as a studio, which is a resounding endorsement. If the true power players at Xbox HQ are very pleased, that’s awesome.
As for whether The Coalition will now temporarily shift to a different IP from Gears, that remains to be seen. Matt Booty said it was up to them, but there isn’t pressure for them to do so. With Gears being a key pillar, it is definitely not being abandoned, that’s for sure. There will almost definitely be a Gears 6, especially after the ending of Gears 5. They changed the format of the Gears story, making it a Saga rather than just two Trilogies, meaning that there are still many stories to tell in this franchise. It may be a longer gap period before it arrives however, which would allow them to work on a new IP, as well as Gears 6. Whatever the case, just take a deep breath and relax. Gears and The Coalition are doing great, and will likely continue to do so.