Gears of War 4 to feature new cast of characters and local multiplayer

While the first three primary installments of the Gears of War franchise saw gamers step into the massive boots of Marcus Fenix, Gears of War 4 will introduce us to new characters when it launches on Xbox One later this year. In addition to these new characters, Game Informer also revealed that Gears of War 4 will support local cooperative play for two players.

The new game, set 25 years after the original Gears trilogy, sees players take on the role of JD Fenix, Marcus' son. Fenix ran away from home when he was young, joining the COG militia before going AWOL following a mysterious incident, and is voiced by actor Liam McIntyre, who played the title role in the Starz series Spartacus.

JD Fenix will be joined in this game by two compatriots. The first is Kait Diaz, a young woman raised outside of Sera's walled city-states, and who is played by veteran voice actress Laura Bailey. There's also Delmont "Del" Walker, JD's best friend who goes on the run with him after that incident. Del is played by actor Eugene Byrd.

Gears of War 4 is being developed by The Coalition, who took over the franchise after Microsoft purchased the rights from original developer Epic Games. The Coalition previously developed the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition for Xbox One.