Xbox Boss Teases "Enhancements" For Gears 5

Xbox boss Phil Spencer is a really good follow on Twitter. For someone who holds such a high position in the gaming industry, he tweets frequently and openly about some of the behind-the-scenes goings-on at Xbox and its studios. According to a recent tweet, Spencer visited Gears of War studio The Coalition, and his trip led to new speculation about what’s next for the franchise.

His PR wrangler Kenny Birge did not accompany Spencer on this trip, and the executive took full advantage of being able to say and post whatever he wanted. One of the more intriguing reveals from Spencer’s trip was a behind-the-scenes tease for some “enhancements” coming to Gears 5. He said he met with The Coalitition’s technical director Mike Rayner who showed him these unspecified “enhancements” that make Gears 5 look “better than Gears has ever looked.”

With a new console, the Xbox Series X, due for release later this year, a safe bet is Spencer was briefed on an upgrade that The Coalition may be preparing for it. This is just speculation, however; it’s possible the “enhancements” are related to something else.

Spencer also tweeted about his briefing for Gears Tactics, the new strategy game due for release in April. He said he sees the game as a “great addition” to the Gears franchise alongside the core shooter series. Xbox Game Studios lead Matt Booty was also on the trip, and he snapped a cheeky photo of Spencer taking a photo.

People have been scouring through these photos in hopes of finding some undiscovered materials or a fresh look at the Xbox Series X, but there don’t appear to be any clues to be found. Anyway, here are all the photos from Spencer’s trip to The Coalition.

The future of Gears beyond Gears Tactics is unknown. There is a Gears movie in development, but there have been no announcements of new games. Microsoft veteran Rod Fergusson, who worked on Gears of War since the beginning when he was with Epic Games, recently left the company to join Blizzard and the Diablo team.