Nearly five years after the launch of Gears 5 and almost total silence on what’s next, The Coalition is rumored to finally showcase the next chapter in the Gears of War franchise. Nothing about the tentatively titled Gears 6 is known, aside from rumors of it being more open than its predecessor and delivering a “this is what next-gen is about” moment.
Nevertheless, with how the previous game ended, there are several potential directions that the story could go in. Here are ten things we’d like to see, however unreasonable they may seem. Heavy spoilers for the Gears of War series are inbound, so be warned.
JD Fenix
Right before the end of Gears 5, Kait has to make a choice – save JD Fenix or Del Walker. It’s a little difficult because while JD is important to her (even after all the things he’s done), Del has been with her almost every step of the way. Based on her choice, the other character will die. If it turns out to be JD, he has to appear somehow in Gears 6, perhaps as a manifestation of her guilty conscience. It’s also a way to have them continue working things out, address any unresolved feelings, and probably influence Kait if she has to make another big decision.
Dual Protagonists
Another potential direction that Gears 6 could explore is dual protagonists. Kait could once again have a starring role (which makes sense, given that her mother is the main antagonist), but Marcus Fenix could also be playable and have a separate campaign. Maybe Kilo Squad could reunite for one last mission that could serve as a nice send-off when all is said and done. If JD doesn’t make it, then Marcus as a protagonist would prove interesting, as she deals with being the sole survivor of his family. Perhaps there could be some issues between him and Kait for the latter letting JD die, adding some additional conflict into the mix.
Reconciling With Reyna
To say there are many unresolved issues with Kait and her mother Reyna would be an understatement. Their showdown is iconic in other ways, though, as Kait’s direction leads her to side with humanity and her loved ones while Reyna ultimately descends into hatred as the Queen of the Swarm. However, it feels like there should be a reconciliation of sorts to allow Kait to move on before making her final choice. What that choice could mean is unknown (it’s not like major Locust or Swarm villains tend to survive anyway), but it would be a way to close the chapter on Reyna once and for all.
Becoming Swarm Queen
Gears 5 did something previous titles (we don’t talk about Judgment) didn’t – it offered a choice with severe narrative ramifications. It would be weird if Gears 6 avoided this, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be at the end. What if Kait had a choice between reconciling and potentially freeing Reyna, saving the world… or becoming the Queen of the Swarm and wreaking vengeance on the COG?
It’s not like there’s no justification, especially given what humanity did to her family. It would run counter-intuitive to her character growth in Gears 5, though, so if there has to be such a choice, the story needs to provide enough incentive for Kait to consider it. You could even throw the story to Marcus’s perspective as he tries to stop the new Swarm Queen.
Explaining Anya’s Death
For all the unresolved plot threads in the Gears of War franchise, the death of Anya Stroud remains mysterious. The in-game explanation is “unknown causes” from a treatment long before the events of Gears 4). If Marcus becomes one of the protagonists and JD isn’t alive, perhaps he could go into more detail on what happened. Maybe this could eventually explain Jinn’s perspective as well.
A New Threat
The Locust was the biggest threat, even heading into Gears of War 2, but a new enemy – the Lambent – suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They would become a bigger deal in Gears of War 3, threatening humanity, Locust and the wellbeing of Sera. Since Emulsion is effectively gone, it wouldn’t make sense for them to resurrect. However, it’s not impossible for another new threat to potentially emerge and shake things up further. A splinter faction of the Swarm that doesn’t serve either side? Corrupted DeeBees that have turned sentient? Several possibilities wouldn’t detract much from the core narrative.
The Collapse of the COG
It’s easy to say that the Coalition of Ordered Governments could disband again like it did post-Gears of War 2. The current COG is far more equipped, not relying on Emulsion and possessing the Fabricator to construct anything. However, since the Swarm can corrupt DeeBees, it could stage attacks against its factories and maybe harness them against the COG. With the bulk of its defensive capabilities thus in shambles, the latter may face a challenge in fighting back, though it’s likely that contingencies have been prepared following the Battle of New Ephyra. Ultimately, however, it feels about right for the COG to end. Since its effects, regardless of ensuring the survival of humanity, have been seen throughout the franchise, it feels like time for some karma.
End of Conflict
If Gears 6 caps off the current trilogy, it has to serve as the end of all the current conflict. Considering much of that began with the original trilogy (and events occurring much before), that would effectively mean closing several chapters. Maybe humanity finally moves on from the COG and its current reliance on technology to somehow make things work. A scorched Sera ending seems much less likely since it would be too depressing, but if The Coalition wants to wrap up this story and move on to a brand-new tale, Gears 6 would be the time.
Return of the Hammer of Dawn
Yes, its targeting system isn’t working, to the extent that JACK had to sacrifice himself to defeat the Kraken at the end of Gears 5, but the Hammer of Dawn is almost as iconic as Kilo Squad. If Gears 6 is the end of the current trilogy, it could have one last hurrah before finally going offline. Alternatively, there could be a plot twist where it’s destroyed, putting our heroes at a significant disadvantage against the Swarm (that is until some other weapons are discovered, as is usually the case). Regardless, how The Coalition explains away the Hammer of Dawn, especially if it doesn’t want it to play a huge part in the story, should be interesting
Leaving Sera
Another direction the development team could go in would be to leave Sera entirely. This could be handled in multiple different ways. Maybe the planet has become so war-torn that it’s no longer liveable, and the COG decides to evacuate in shuttles. It could trigger a separate conflict if there isn’t enough space to transport all humanity into space (one that Kait and friends could side with).
It could also lead to a climax where the COG desperately tries to evacuate everyone while holding off the Swarm (and maybe completely eradicating the planet and their enemy with the Hammer of Dawn). It could satisfy several narrative conditions, including a book-end for the current story, and while the question of what’s next will inevitably loom, the possibilities – whether it’s encountering other civilizations, settling down on a new planet and so on – are exciting.
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