Gears of War 4 team shifts 'full focus' to Gears 5, adds Gilded RAAM challenge

Microsoft has announced plans to halt development on new unlocks for Gears of War 4, in preparation for Gears 5. With a fifth installment of the third-person shooter slated for 2019, developer 'The Coalition' is shifting resources away, cutting new customization content and Gears Packs for the title.

On the Gears of War blog, The Coalition discussed its current plans for Gears of War 4 and making the shift to its next project.

The time has come to say goodbye to new Customization Content and Gear Packs in Gears 4 as the team shifts their full focus into making Gears 5 the best game possible.The end of this road marks the most content released for any Gears game in the series history, with 269 characters and 2,384 Weapon Skins added over the past two and a half years. We've introduced new favorites (Sweater Imago!), fulfilled 10 year old fan requests (Palace Guard!) and learnt a lot on the way (maybe no more Color Blast..). We hope you've enjoyed the ride.

While scaling back its resources on Gears of War 4, the team is still teasing future content on the horizon. With "plenty of Special Events and more" reportedly planned ahead of next game, this will bridge the gap for series fans.

The announcement pairs with details on the "Gilded RAAM Challenge" headed to Gears of War 4; including rewards extending to Gears 5. Completing three hefty tasks across its mode unlocks an exclusive gold-trimmed Gilded RAAM" skin, alongside the "Black Phantom Weapon Skin Set."

Gears 5 is slated for a 2019 release on Xbox One and Windows 10.

Matt Brown

Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central's Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft's gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.