With the recent news that The Coalition's Rod Fergusson is leaving Microsoft to join Blizzard for work on the Diablo series, many are now wondering where the next leadership will take the Gears of War franchise. While not likely given a strong diss, it's possible that fans don't have to wonder too hard as original Gears of War lead designer Cliff Bleszinski has offered to lend his talents once again to the beloved franchise.
Formerly one of gaming's most powerful personalities, Gears of War lead designer Cliff Bleszinski took the time to voice his thoughts on the latest entries in the series. He implied that the series had become too "woke."
The diss tweet in response to a comment from Twitter user Ordingandr can be seen below.
"Woke" is a term often thrown around in today's lexicon. In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "woke" is described as "aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)."
The term is often used pejoratively to describe one's intentions as well. Further, Bleszinski's response to a tweet warning Microsoft not to get excessively "woke" with the Gears franchise contains a hint of resentment.
"They kinda already did if you didn't notice" sends a bitter message from Bleszinski.
However, not too long before this, Bleszinski sent out a tweet where he seemingly offered Microsoft the opportunity to work with him on the Gears series. This tweet can be seen below.
Given Cliff Bleszinski's candid and sometimes blithe personality, it's hard to know if Bleszinski's offer is legitimate, or the degree to which it is legitimate. On the one hand, he may have a personal stake in it since he oversaw the development of the first three Gears of War games. On the other hand, he has remained technically unattached to the series since his departure.
Whether Bleszinski would bring back a lot of value to the franchise is up for the debate. He did establish the ultra-macho and unique sci-fi-steampunk hybrid vibe. However, given the different direction, the new games have taken, as commented on by Bleszinski, his say-so might cause a confusing tonal shift.
Would you want to see Cliffy B return to the Gears franchise?
Sources: Twitter (Bleszinski's Diss Tweet), Twitter (Bleszinski's Consultation Offer Tweet)