'Gears Of War 4' Release Date: Microsoft Acquires Rights From Epic; What Does This Mean For The Franchise On The Xbox One?

Microsoft has purchased something big from Epic Games! The company is now the proud owner of the “Gears of War” franchise after purchasing the rights from the gaming company. Although no new installment of the game was announced it has been revealed that the future “Gears of War” titles will be developed by Microsoft Studios’ Vancouver-based subsidiary Black Tusk Studios. It was also revealed that series producer Rod Fergusson will be joining Black Tusk to lead the development of the franchise in the right direction.

"I’m extremely excited to be joining Black Tusk Studios to oversee development on the Gears of War franchise," Fergusson said on Xbox Wire. "I’ve been privileged to work on a lot of great games with a lot of great teams, but 'Gears' has had the most impact on me professionally and personally, so this really feels like a homecoming. I can’t wait to share more with you all soon." The purchase of this franchise means that Microsoft can keep the "Gears of War" game an Xbox exclusive.

This is definitely the second most important exclusive for Microsoft, the first being the “Halo” franchise. An Xbox One version of “Gears of War” could definitely persuade gamers to upgrade from the 360 to the next-gen Xbox One console. Another brownie point for Microsoft as Cinema Blend points out is that Microsoft will now have free reign over the franchise, meaning they can add whatever tie-in products they like. So don’t be surprised if graphic novels, comics, books and other merch become available when the next "Gears" title launches.

The way Epic Games makes it sound, the company was done with the "Gears" series and was hoping to move on. That news in itself is exciting because it means while Microsoft is working on the next “Gears of War” game Epic will be developing an entire new franchise for gamers to fall in love with. As for news on the announcement of “Gears of War 4,” Microsoft has revealed that they will be announcing news later this year and the only thing we may know for certain is that the title will be an Xbox One exclusive.