Cliff Bleszinksi says Microsoft would be ‘smart’ to let him consult on Gears of War

videogameschronicle.com:

Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski has said that Microsoft would be “smart” to enlist him as a consultant on the franchise.

In a statement posted to X, the former Epic Games designer claimed that despite being open to returning to the franchise in some capacity, he has received no contact from Microsoft or the current Gears of War studio, The Coalition.

“Look, we’ve been over this a million times re: Gears,” Bleszinksi wrote. “I’m down to consult. Give my two cents. Crickets. I understand that Gears will always be an enormous part of my legacy. I appreciate and respect that.

“That said, MS/Coalition haven’t hit me up. OK. It is what it is. If they were smart, they’d enlist me for my input because just from a PR standpoint alone it would be gold. But nothing. Ah well. It is what it is. So be it.”

Bleszinski, known online by his gaming handle ‘CliffyB’, last worked on the franchise in 2011, where he served as a designer on Gears of War 3. He is currently listed as an executive producer on the long-in-development Gears of War movie.

Following his time on the Gears franchise, Bleszinski founded Boss Key Productions. The studio developed two games, Lawbreakers, which was released in 2017, and Radical Heights, which briefly entered Early Access before shuttering, along with the studio itself.

“Last few years I’ve moved on. Boss Key didn’t work out, fine, shit happens,” he continued. “So, I moved on. Restaurants. Broadway. My memoir. And now, comics (and stand-up comedy!) As much as I appreciate your support and those who know me from my Gears work (I did do a lot more than that series, for the record) it’s time to move on. I’m on a new journey. I have been for some time now.”