“I hope they go back to it, but I love those guys and just want them to make a game they feel nails the Gears experience everyone loves,” wrote McIntyre when asked about whether he was upset that the trilogy started with Gears of War 4 never got a conclusion. “That’d be awesome. And hey, if that leads back to the trilogy, happy days.”

“We did Gears 4 and 5, and there was a suggestion that maybe there would be a Gears 6,” he continued. “But the team wanted to try something new, as I understand it. And honestly, it looks great. Can’t wait to play.”

As for JD’s ultimate fate owing to the events of Gears 5, McIntyre proposed his own solution for how The Coalition can bring the character back for a potential Gears 6. It essentially involves the Swarm somehow having revived the character and controlling him, and eventually even bringing in his father and original trilogy protagonist Marcus Fenix joining the fight to save him.

“I have a solve for that regardless of what you choose,” he explained. Hoping that Del is canon, Marcus loses his mind and goes rogue, and you learn JD has kind of been revived and controlled by Swarm, his dad has to fight him. But somehow you save him. Not sure how yet. Or if it matters lol.”

JD was introduced as a new protagonist in Gears of War 4, which also revealed that he was the son of Marcus. Set over two decades after the events of Gears of War 3, Gears 4‘s story revolved around the rise of a Locust-like race known only as the Swarm, as well as the COG, serving as the secondary antagonist thanks to its desire to bring Outsiders back into the fold.

While the story’s resolution turns the crew into allies of the COG, Gears 5 offers a fun twist on the story. JD, ordering a Hammer of Dawn to fire on large Swarm creatures in the midst of an evacuation, accidentally triggers the death of many civilians. The role of protagonist for Gears 5 is played by Kait, who starts having visions related to the Locust.

The next mainline entry in the franchise, Gears of War: E-Day, is slated for release later this year. The story takes place before the events of the first game, putting players in the midst of the Locust attack on Sera. Players once more take on the roles of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago as they fight their way through the invasion in the city of Kalona.

Speaking recently during IGN’s Unlocked podcast, Fergusson – who has been the Diablo boss at Blizzard Entertainment since his departure from The Coalition in 2020 – revealed that while he was still in charge of the series at the studio, the rough outline that he had put in place for Gears 6 was for the series to head to a new planet rather than continuing to be set on Sera. 

“Gears 6 was to leave Sera,” he said (transcription via GamesRadar). “That was something we were building to. If you paid attention to the story in Gears 5, you come across the UIR [Union of Independent Republics] sort-of rocket technology. We were sort of laying the seeds and the groundwork that in taking over that UIR territory, we’ve adopted their space program. So what I wanted to do with Gears 6 is take you off Sera to encounter what that could mean to the rest of the galaxy or, at least, the rest of the solar system. Not that you’d be hopping [between planets], but… it was old, Russian-era, sputnik-type tech, so we weren’t going to start Mass Effect-ing this. It was really about, ‘let’s get you to a new place to encounter what this looks like.'”

Of course, with the next Gears game set to be a prequel, it remains to be seen whether that’s still what The Coalition intends to do with the franchise with its next numbered entry- though clearly, we’re going to have to wait quite a while to find out.

Gears of War: E-Day is in development for Xbox Series X/S and PC. A release date hasn’t been announced, but reports have claimed the game is targeting a 2025 launch. 

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.

As per Warren, two more first-party titles that Microsoft will be showcasing at its upcoming event, which is set for June 9, are Playground Games’ Fable and Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight. Allegedly, 2025 releases will also be announced for both games.

And what platforms will they release for? With Microsoft having adopted an unprecedented multiplatform release strategy for select first-party titles, the question of whether its upcoming games are also going to end up releasing for rival consoles always seems like a pertinent one now, though as per Warren, Fable and South of Midnight are not being considered for PS5 releases. For that matter, neither is the aforementioned Gears 6, it’s claimed.

That said, the report also states that another remaster of Halo: Combat Evolved is in the works, and that it is being considered for PS5. Read more on that through here.

Silent Hill 2 Remake Release Date

Whether it’s posters allegedly showing up in GameStop, the ESRB rating the title or Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb reporting an appearance at the rumored PlayStation Showcase and The Snitch seemingly corroborating, Silent Hill 2’s time is nigh. Bloober Team’s remake could get new gameplay and a release date, with CEO Piotr Babieno outright saying last month that the latter is happening “soon”. Based on all the evidence, launching this Fall or Winter wouldn’t be surprising. Perhaps in time for the constantly rumored…

PS5 Pro Reveal

With nearly everything about it leaked save for the design and price, it’s almost a given that Sony could finally unveil the PS5 Pro. The release window is still a bit iffy – Grubb reported a September 2024 release, while Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson indicated a Holiday launch, potentially slipping due to the lack of big first-party titles before claiming a Fall release window. Either way, with an alleged 28 percent more memory bandwidth, 33.5 TFLOPs GPU and support for Sony’s new supersampling tech, it could make a splash if Silent Hill 2 remake is a showcase title. As for when it could be announced, the PlayStation Showcase makes sense, but it could very well be at the Sony Corporate Group Meeting occurring soon.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater Release Date and New Gameplay

Along with the Silent Hill 2 remake, PlayStation did this wonderful thing in January, where it outright said Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is coming in 2024. There’s been no denial from Konami nor acceptance, only the assurance last March that development is going well, thank you for asking, etc. However, it also promised an upcoming video presentation with “bigger announcements.” What better time than this Summer to provide an updated gameplay reveal and release date?

Ghost of Tsushima 2 Announcement

There have been some rumors about Ghost of Tsushima 2, though nothing as of late as we approach Sony’s alleged PlayStation Showcase this month. Nevertheless, the time feels ripe, with Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut available on PC and the movie (directed by Chad Stahelski of John Wick fame) coming up. If it happens, expect limited to no gameplay and a potential release window in 2025.

Next Astro Bot Reveal

Of course, the other possible reveal is the next Astro Bot game. Team Asobi has been quiet since announcing work on its “most ambitious game yet”, and Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb reports that the new title could finally release this year (though he clubbed it in with Sony’s “smaller first-party titles”). The Snitch would seemingly corroborate its appearance at the next PlayStation Showcase, whenever it may be, so it could very well be Astro’s big break, especially with Sony not releasing any new titles for its bigger first-party franchises until April 2025 onwards.

God of War Ragnarok PC Announcement

Another seemingly inevitable announcement is God of War Ragnarok coming to PC. The rumor comes from none other than Dealabs’ billbil-kun, who has an impeccable record with leaks. They outright said an announcement is coming this month, adding more fire to rumors of a PlayStation Showcase this month. Regardless, given Sony’s habit of launching first-party titles on PC a few years after their PlayStation debuts, it would be surprising to see it out in 2024. Fingers crossed and whatnot.

Gears 6 Announcement

Speaking of “right timing,” Microsoft announcing the next Gears of War at its Xbox Games Showcase would be ideal in many ways. Fortunately, Grubb reported something happening this Summer with Gears 6. The Verge’s Tom Warren agreed and then outright said in a later report that there would be an announcement at the show. If that’s not enough, the voice of JD Fenix, actor Liam McIntyre, said on Twitter that Microsoft and The Coalition will “tell us all in June” regarding certain story spoilers.

Perfect Dark Gameplay Reveal

The Xbox Games Showcase could also mark an appearance for Perfect Dark. Announced in 2020 with nary a bit of gameplay or details since and plenty of concerning rumors and reports, insider Nate the Hate “fully expects” it to appear at the showcase (with Grubb also hearing that it could show up). That would fit with Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty being “cautiously confident” in June 2023 about a gameplay deep dive arriving by late 2024.

State of Decay 3 Gameplay Reveal

The other title potentially getting a deep dive is State of Decay 3, Undead Labs’ next chapter in the survival sandbox zombie series. Also announced in 2020 with little to no updates in terms of gameplay since, its developer saw allegations of negligence in 2022, which reportedly affected development. Nevertheless, Jez Corden of Windows Central remarked recently that it’s coming along quite well, so perhaps we’ll finally see an update at the Xbox showcase.

Game Pass Price Hike Announcement

Another more unfortunate rumor doing the rounds is that of Game Pass getting a price hike. The Verge’s Tom Warren reported on it. Xbox president Sarah Bond would then confirm Activision’s titles coming to the service on day one. Even more rumors surfaced afterwards, with insider NateDrake claiming that new tiers are coming. There will also allegedly be changes in “the form of pricing and a tier change.” Regardless of those plans, a Game Pass price increase seems inevitable, especially given how subscriber counts haven’t been soaring lately.

Hollow Knight: Silksong Release Date Announcement

The best part about so many upcoming events is that Hollow Knight: Silksong could appear at almost anyone. That ups the chances of a potential new trailer and maybe a release date announcement. Does that mean multiple chances to be disappointed as well? Sure, but with the title rated in South Korea, Australia and the US, it would be weird to get nothing in return. Either way, it’s been over five years since the announcement trailer, Team Cherry. Just…please, anything.

Borderlands 4 Reveal

2K Games confirmed that Borderlands 4 was in active development after Gearbox’s acquisition by Take-Two but rumors were already claiming that it saw a shake-up in leadership. The publishing label confirmed a reveal for the “next iteration” in one of its “biggest and most beloved franchises” at Summer Game Fest. Potential Borderlands 4 announcement and gameplay? It would be the safe bet, for sure.

Mafia 4 Announcement

However, there’s also a chance it could be Hanger 13’s long-rumored Mafia 4. Leaker Kurakasis claimed last month that Take-Two had begun “preparations for an announcement regarding the Mafia series.” Allegedly developed on Unreal Engine 5 and serving as a prequel to the series with Don Salieri as the protagonist, it could be the big reveal for Summer Game Fest.

Sonic X Shadow Generations Announcement

Sega is confirmed as a partner for Summer Game Fest, and while there’s plenty it could discuss, news on Sonic X Shadow Generations seems likely. The remaster, features a new campaign starring Shadow the Hedgehog. A new trailer and release date seems likely.

Sonic Heroes Remake Announcement

While Sonic X Shadow Generations may be the main attraction, Sega could announce another remake in the series. According to Nintendo Universe, it’s Sonic Heroes, allegedly developed on Unreal Engine 5 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. Whether Summer Game Fest is the place or not, it would garner the most attention.

Metro 4 Reveal

While a prequel to Metro 2033 sounds great, some fans were doubtless disappointed that Metro Awakening is a VR-exclusive title. Perhaps to quell some of that, publisher Deep Silver confirmed that “development continues separately at 4A Games on the next mainline installment of the Metro series.” Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson reported last year in February that it was “well into development” and “fully playable.” Even if Deep Silver reveals the release date for Awakening at Summer Game Fest (where it’s a partner), it wouldn’t be odd to see Metro 4 get a short teaser.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gameplay Reveal

The developer has confirmed updates on its major releases for this year, including Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Star Wars Outlaws. With pre-orders and various details for the former out in the wild, it seems a given that there will be a gameplay showcase. If coincidence isn’t enough, Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson outright reported this would be the case, with hands-on impressions going live on June 12th.

Valve’s Deadlock

Between all the leaked screenshots, gameplay and details, it feels like Valve is gearing up to announce Deadlock. The alleged 6v6 hero shooter is in the alpha stage and features 19 characters, with the usual MOBA roles of tanks, healers and damage dealers. While no release windows have circulated, there’s every possibility that Valve drops the announcement out of nowhere and opens up registrations for a closed alpha.

Monster Hunter Wilds – New Gameplay and Release Window

When discussing predictions, Monster Hunter Wilds getting some gameplay and a possible release window is probably the safest bet. The developer already confirmed new details this Summer, and as a partner at Summer Game Fest, it only makes sense to at least provide a trailer. It could then tout more information at the next Showcase or a Monster Hunter Wilds Digital Event later in June. It makes too much sense not to happen.

Kingdom Hearts 4 New Trailer

As odd as it seems, Kingdom Hearts 4 could appear in the upcoming Summer showcases, though which one is the question. Leaker Daniel Richtman recently revealed that it would launch sometime next year. If that’s the case, an upcoming reveal doesn’t sound too far fetched, especially with the Kingdom Hearts series recently becoming available on Steam.

Wonder Woman Update

Among the many publishers confirmed for the Summer Game Fest is WB Games. We haven’t heard anything about Monolith Productions’ Wonder Woman since December 2021 – outside of the publisher denying it’s a live-service title and a job listing for WB Games Montreal revealing that it’s supporting development. Perhaps this year’s showcase could finally be the time, especially if Warner Bros. Discovery wants a big release for the fiscal year.

Starfield: Shattered Space Reveal and Release Date

Starfield’s first paid expansion, Shattered Space, was already confirmed to launch this year and receive new details. However, The Verge’s Tom Warren reported that it would not only appear at the Xbox Games Showcase but receive a release date (allegedly for September). Redditors also spotted references in its May update video to House Var’uun, a faction that didn’t appear in the base game but whom one of your companions follows. Whatever its nature, expect it to appear all the same.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Release Date

Likewise, there’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Microsoft’s next big first-party title coming this year. MachineGames’ action-adventure is reportedly launching in December, per The Verge, so some new gameplay and an announcement at the Xbox Games Showcase seems a given.

Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra Trailer

This one’s a bit of a wildcard, not only because Skydance New Media showcased in-game scenes during the State of Unreal at GDC in March, but also because it has a 2025 release window. The developer isn’t listed for Summer Game Fest, though the next round of partners could contain its name. If so, perhaps there will be gameplay and the announcement of platforms.

New Xbox Hardware Announcement

Other first-party games allegedly coming to PS5, potential Game Pass price hikes – Microsoft has a lot on its plate, rumors-wise. However, one confirmed bit is that it will unveil “some exciting stuff coming out in hardware.” It’s unlikely to be the next Xbox, which Microsoft touts as delivering “the largest technical leap” in a generation, but maybe it’s the rumored mid-gen refresh leaked in documents during its FTC trial. Perhaps it’s the new all-digital white Xbox Series X, whose images have been circulating. Whatever it may be, an announcement at the Xbox Games Showcase would make sense.

Crimson Desert New Trailer and Release Window

Remember Crimson Desert, Black Desert developer Pearl Abyss’s ambitious single-player action RPG? It seems that development is complete, and marketing reportedly will kick off in the coming months, per leaker Lunatic Ignus. Targeting a Q1 2025 release, there’s every chance it could appear at Summer Game Fest, especially since its first trailer was at The Game Awards 2020.

Resident Evil 9 Announcement

Pragmata may be in limbo, but it could be gearing up to reveal the next mainline Resident Evil. Reportedly launching in January 2025 per leaker Dusk Golem, it allegedly has the series’ largest development time frame and budget. None of that will stop it from being a monster success, and though it could be unveiled at Summer Game Fest, it wouldn’t be remiss to see it appear during Sony’s rumored PlayStation Showcase.

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Gameplay and Release Date

BioWare and Electronic Arts confirmed a full reveal for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf in Summer 2024, and based on reports by Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb, a new trailer could drop around Summer Game Fest. Even more interestingly, it’s seemingly launching this year. The publisher revealed recently that it has two “unannounced” titles releasing this fiscal year, with Grubb noting that Dreadwolf is one of them. Whether it arrives this year remains to be seen. For now, we just want to see some extended gameplay.

Splinter Cell Remake Update

Announced in 2021, Splinter Cell remake could be due for…something at Forward. There’s not much to go on, save for the developer changing its Facebook page header and profile picture to Sam Fisher’s signature NV goggles, but you never know. As for the nature of the reveal, your guess is as good as ours.

New Ghost Recon Reveal

Then there’s the next Ghost Recon, rumored way back in 2022 and allegedly launching in 2025 or 2026. Codenamed Project Over, it’s reportedly a first-person shooter, per Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson. If the Splinter Cell remake could get an update at Forward, the next Ghost Recon seems just as possible.

METROID PRIME 4

Nearly two decades on from the launch of the last Metroid Prime game, the wait for a sequel continues. Metroid Prime 4 was originally announced seven years ago, all the way back in 2017, and after a couple years of radio silence, in 2019, Nintendo revealed that development on the title had been rebooted. And since then? Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Metroid Prime 4 continues to be in development at Retro Studios, but five years into its rebooted development cycle, we still don’t know anything about the game other than the fact that it’s being worked on.

PRAGMATA

We don’t see new IP from Capcom very often, so it’s always exciting to see one get announced. Four years ago, we got one in the form of Pragmata, a cool looking sci-fi title that turned more than a few heads. Four years on though, things haven’t really moved forward much (or at all). We still don’t have any idea what the heck this game is, we’ve seen barely anything of it since it got announced, and a while back, it got delayed indefinitely. Whether or not this is going to be another Deep Down is the question that we can’t help but keep coming back to.

BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL 2

Oh boy, where do we even begin with this one. The wait for Beyond Good and Evil 2 had dragged on long enough even before it was announced, and when, impossibly enough, it was announced, things somehow only got worse. We’re approaching the seventh anniversary of Beyond Good and Evil 2’s announcement, and by now, the game has become the definition of vaporware. After countless delays, development troubles, project reboots, and a total lack of communication from Ubisoft on what the state of the project is, it’s looking unlikelier by the day that this game will ever see the light of day.

DINO CRISIS

Capcom has done an incredible job remaking Resident Evil games to this point, but the one remake that fans keep asking for that ever seems to come isn’t a Resident Evil game at all (well, one of them is. More on that in a bit). Demands for a new Dino Crisis game have been growing louder by the day, as fans continue to salivate over the prospect of a full-fledged survival horror Dino Crisis reboot that’s built on the RE Engine and takes its fair share of learnings for the Resident Evil franchise. Up to this point, chances of that happening anytime soon have looked slim- but Capcom has shown a willingness to dive into its back catalog more than a few times now, so maybe the sun will shine one day on Dino Crisis. 

ONIMUSHA

Here’s another classic Capcom franchise that has been dormant for too long. To be fair, Capcom did try to show Onimusha at least a little bit of love with a remastered release of the original game in 2019. But since then, the franchise has once again fallen off the face of the earth entirely. Its fusion of character action combat and Resident Evil-style design has endeared the series to a sizeable fanbase over the years, so hopefully, it won’t be too long before we get a long overdue new mainline Onimusha entry.

RESIDENT EVIL: CODE – VERONICA REMAKE

Let’s stick with Capcom a little longer, because of course, Resident Evil: Code – Veronica is another game fans have been to see back in the limelight for a while now. While there’s obviously been no shortage of Resident Evil remakes, as we continue to move down the list, with each new release, the demand for Code Veronica to return grows louder and louder. Thus far, Capcom hasn’t budged on its apparent strategy of sticking only with numbered entries for remakes, but hopefully, that won’t be the case for too long. After all, there’s only so many numbered entries they can remake, right?

SYSTEM SHOCK 3

Whether or not System Shock 3 will even ever get made is massively in doubt at this point. First officially announced all the way back in 2016, the long-anticipated sequel was in the works at OtherSide Entertainment, with the project being led by System Shock mastermind Warren Spector. As the years continued to go and details on the game remained scant, concern surrounding its development grew, before confirmation arrived from Spector a couple of years ago that OtherSide Entertainment hadn’t worked on System Shock 3 since 2019. At this point, even saying that the project is in limbo would be a charitable description.

THE ELDER SCROLLS 6

It’s been thirteen years since the last mainline Elder Scrolls game released, and it’s going to be several more before the next one arrives. What’s insane is that we have known in an official capacity that The Elder Scrolls 6 is a thing for as long as six years at this point. Back in 2018, Bethesda announced the fantasy RPG with essentially a logo reveal, but it was only a few months ago that the game entered full production, with the studio having been occupied with Starfield for the last several years. At this point, development is presumably going to take around 4-5 years (at best), which means we still have a long wait ahead of us.

HOLLOW KNIGHT: SILKSONG

Team Cherry, for all that’s good in this world, please tell us when Hollow Knight: Silksong is coming. The expansion-turned-sequel was officially announced five years ago, and at one point, when the game had a launch window for some time before July 2023, it looked like we were this close to the game actually coming out. That, of course, didn’t pan out, and once again, we currently have no idea when Hollow Knight: Silksong will come out. Surely it’s gotta be this year, right? Right?

MEGA MAN LEGENDS 3

Capcom’s handling of the Mega Man franchise has been all over the place, in that even though we do keep getting new collections and re-releases, actual new instalments have been few and far between for a while now. But as starved as Mega Man fans might be for a new mainline entry, Mega Man Legends fans have been starved for even longer. It’s been close to two and a half decades since the launch of the last Legends game, and at this point, Mega Man Legends 3 is nothing short of the unlikeliest of pie-in-the-sky scenarios. But hey, we can always dream, right?

GEARS 6

That there will be a Gears 6 is pretty much a guarantee, but it’s taking an unusually long time to rear its head. Gears 5 launched nearly five years ago, which means this is now the longest we’ve ever gone without a new mainline Gears of War game. Leaks have claimed that that’s going to be The Coalition’s next title, but how long it’ll be before we it releases (or we see it) is anyone’s guess right now.

BLOODBORNE REMASTER

Sony absolutely loves its remakes and remasters, but for some strange reason, that doesn’t seem to apply to Bloodborne. FromSoftware’s seminal action RPG is an absolute fan-favourite and widely regarded as one of the best PlayStation games to date, but demands for a remake or a remaster, even though they’ve grown consistently louder, have gone unheard. Hell, we haven’t even seen a 60 FPS patch for the game on PS5.

JAK AND DAXTER

In Sony’s treasure trove of dormant legacy IP, Jak and Daxter is probably the one that fans are most wistful about to this day. Naughty Dog is, of course, unlikely to ever work on a new Jak game again (hell, they’re probably not even going back to Uncharted, let alone Jak), but might we perhaps see another studio be given the responsibility of making a new instalment in the action platforming franchise? It seems incredibly unlikely right now, but there’s no denying how popular Jak and Daxter is, so maybe that will end up counting for something in the future.

BANJO-KAZOOIE

Speaking of dormant franchises that have been slumbering for far too long, Banjo-Kazooie is another one that just refuses to come back. You have to go back to 2008 for the series’ last mainline game, and the last mainline game was Nuts and Bolts, which was… not great. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has suggested a few times that Microsoft is well aware of the level of demand for Banjo-Kazooie, but with Rare having its hands full and even Toys for Bob having bought back its independence, it’s hard to see which studio is going to take on such a project, if it ever even gets greenlit.

SPLINTER CELL REMAKE

To be fair, it hasn’t been that long since Ubisoft announced that it was remaking Splinter Cell. seeing as the project was confirmed to be in the works in 2021. But of course, not only have we seen nothing of the game since then, there’s also the fact that Splinter Cell as a whole has been MIA for far too long. Its last mainline entry, Splinter Cell Blacklist, is over a decade old at this point, and in the time since then, fans of the series have had little more than cancelled VR games and Ghost Recon DLC to go on. Hopefully, it won’t be much longer before the remake sees the light of day.

Five years on from Gears 5’s launch, fans of the franchise continuing to grow increasingly antsy about when Microsoft and developer The Coalition will finally unveil its next mainline instalment, and more evidence seems to point to an announcement not long from now.

Actor Liam McIntyre, who plays JD Fenix (who was Gears of War 4’s primary protagonist and a key supporting character in Gears 5) seems to have suggested with a recent tweet that Gears 6 will be announced this Summer.

When asked by a fan about whether JD’s death at the end of Gears 5 – which can also be swapped by Del’s death, depending on which of them players choose to save – will be canon as we head into the franchise’s next instalment, McIntyre didn’t provide a specific answer, only stating that he has “no idea”- but added that The Coalition and Microsoft will “tell us all in June”.

Interestingly enough, this aligns with what other recent reports have claimed. Allegedly, Gears 6 is indeed set to be announced at the Xbox Games Showcase, which will supposedly take place on June 9. Of course, until we get official communication, it’s hard to be completely certain, but given how long it’s been since Gears 5 launched, it does feel like it’s about time the franchise re-emerged with a new entry.

Previous leaks have also claimed that Gears 6 will continue to build on its predecessor’s experiment with semi-open world areas, and feature even more open-ended environments.

I have no idea. I think @GearsofWar tells us all in June. 🙂 https://t.co/jNxqbyTZMi

— liam (@Liam_J_McIntyre) April 24, 2024

That’s as per The Verge’s Tom Warren, who claims in a recently published report that this year’s Xbox Games Showcase will happen on June 9, which is a Sunday. As per Warren, Microsoft will announce Gears 6 at the showcase, in addition to this year’s Call of Duty instalment.

The next instalment in the Gears of War franchise has been in the rumour mill for some time now, with recent reports claiming that it’ll be announced sometime this Summer. Meanwhile, leaks have claimed that this year’s Call of Duty game, titled Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War, will depict the titular conflict and feature a fully open world campaign.

Warren says previously announced first-party titles will also receive updates at the Xbox Games Showcase, including the likes of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, all of which are officially due out this year.

On Resetera, insider Nate The Hate also weighed in. “I’d be surprised if 2024 came and went without a mention or look at Gears 6. The game will be that ‘this is what next-gen is about’ moment.” Lest there’s any confusion, they clarified that it’s “this gen. Very few games have delivered that ‘next-gen’ moment this generation, as we had an exceptionally long cross-gen period.”

Nate added, “Much like Gears 1 was the moment on Xbox 360, so should Gears 6 be for Xbox Series.” Further adding fuel to the fire is insider shinobi602, who said in response to some gorgeous screenshots of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, “Wait until you see Gears. People aren’t ready.”

Rumors of Gears 6 have circulated through the years, like The Coalition reportedly cancelling two unannounced projects to focus on it. The sequel is allegedly further along than many would have thought, which makes a reveal this Summer all the more plausible. Whether Microsoft reveals it at the yearly Xbox Showcase in June remains to be seen, so stay tuned.

Interestingly, according to journalist Jeff Grubb, we’re not going to have to wait too much longer. Speaking recently during the Kinda Funny Xbox podcast, the Xcast, Grubb suggested that the game is likely to be announced this Summer.

“I’ve heard some stuff might be happening with Gears 6 this Summer,” he said. Shortly afterward, journalist Tom Warren of The Verge tweeted about Grubb’s reporting, saying simply that it was “correct” information.

Microsoft announced earlier this year that the Xbox Game Showcase will be returning in June, so if a new Gears of War title is indeed going to be announced this Summer, it’s likely that that’s the stage Microsoft will choose for it.

Earlier this year, it was claimed that Gears 6 was further along in production than many were expecting, and that it would continue to use the semi-open world elements introduced in 2019’s Gears 5. Read more on that through here.

"I've heard some stuff with Gears 6 might be happening this summer," says Jeff Grubb on the Xcast show. Correct. https://t.co/qzdYCvxHf1 pic.twitter.com/wbqF4IMwRJ

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) April 4, 2024