The Coalition studio continues to work on the Gears of War series amidst a large-scale Xbox restructuring and new employee layoffs within the Microsoft division. Studio head Mike Crump did not disclose the company's plans for the team's future, but assured that the next installment in the series would not take as long to develop as Gears of War: E-Day.
In an interview with the BBC, Crump was asked about recent Eurogamer reports that The Coalition employees fear new layoffs after E-Day's release. The studio head neither confirmed nor denied potential dismissals, instead emphasizing that the team should focus on what is within their control.
I tell myself and the team that we need to focus on the things we can control. For us, that means releasing a great game that people will love. And I believe that as a team, that's exactly what we've done,
According to him, Gears of War: E-Day has become an “excellent foundation” for future games in the series. At the same time, the development of the next project should not take seven years — that's how long it took the team to create E-Day.
The next game won't take that long to develop.
Crump also separately noted the experience of the studio's employees. According to him, key leaders at The Coalition have been working together for over 20 years, and the knowledge and experience accumulated during this time ensure the team's continuity.
We have a great team. Especially the leadership team has been working together for over 20 years. So we definitely have continuity of knowledge and experience.
These words come amidst a large-scale Xbox restructuring, which involves the redistribution of teams and franchises, as well as numerous layoffs. The Coalition has largely managed to avoid the most severe consequences of the cuts, but the studio was not entirely unaffected: last month, the narrative director of Gears of War: E-Day and several other employees lost their jobs.