Microsoft and Black Tusk Studios are developing a remaster for the 2006 shooter, Gears of War, sources have said.
The re-release of Gears of War is set to have updated visuals and reworked cutscenes created by animation studio Plastic Wax, similar to Blur with Halo 2 Anniversary.
Microsoft were previously rumoured to have a “Marcus Fenix Collection” in the works, containing all three games, but Black Tusk studio head Rod Fergusson was quick to dismiss this rumour.
“I love the passion, but there’s no Marcus Fenix Collection,” Fergusson stated on Twitter. “We ARE working on other exciting Gears projects. I’ll see you at E3!”
Microsoft acquired the Gears of War IP from Epic Games last year, with Black Tusk Studios now leading the franchise. A Gears of War 4 is in the works.
According to sources, the beta test servers are set to launch at 2am GMT on Sunday, and will run for a limited time. The main menu only states “Gears of War,” but the menu music is the first Gears’ soundtrack and the CGI intro also belongs to the first game in the franchise.
Microsoft may only be remastering the original game as they may want to prevent another Halo: The Master Chief Collection like fiasco.
Of course, as with all rumours, this should be taken with a pinch of salt until officially confirmed by Microsoft.
The original Gears of War will turn 10 years old in 2016, so this seems like a great time to announce a remaster.
Are you excited? Let us know in the comments.
^Cam @CameronMines
Cam was a regular ICXM contributor in 2015, publishing 30 articles across opinion pieces, Windows and PC, and Xbox news. Their work focused on hands-on reviews, platform commentary, and breaking-news reporting during the Xbox One’s first full year of post-launch coverage, including the early days of Backwards Compatibility and Windows 10 gaming. They post on X as @CameronMines.