Game Informer’s Gears of War 4 cover issue has a ton of new information on the game.
As per GameSpot, it’s been revealed that the game’s co-op mode will only support two players, both in local and online play. This is down from four player co-op support in Gears of War 3. It also seems that the story is set 25 years after the events of the third game and takes place over 24 hours with Marcus Fenix’s son JD Fenix in the lead. Other playable character include Kait and Del.
“While the three characters remain together for most of the game, at times they might get split up, and the story has subtle differences depending on whether player two is Kait or Dell.”
It also seems that the story focuses on an over-protective COG that’s rounded up its civilians and placed them in walled cities following the events of Gears 3 that killed all the Locust. A group existing outside the walls, known as the Outsiders, is thus formed.
Studio lead Rod Fergusson said that, “The Outsiders are a group of people who are purposefully stepping outside the COG and breaking free because they think life isn’t worth living unless it’s lived free…As we were conceptualizing The Outsiders, we initially started with the hippie movement, but then we realized we wanted them to have an edge and we started thinking of them more like this 1970s motorcycle gang.”
Gears of War 4 is slated to release this year for Xbox One but a multiplayer beta is due sometime in Spring.