In the reception area of The Coalition’s Vancouver studio, a statue of Marcus Fenix holds court. Glowering from a corner, hands resting on his chainsaw-loaded rifle, the erstwhile cover star of Xbox blockbuster Gears of War looks perfectly at home in his new digs.

He and the game he stars in moved over from Epic Games after the original developer decided to move onto other things (Fortnite and world domination mostly), leaving the trilogy that partway defined the Xbox 360 era behind. Microsoft entrusted The Coalition, led by former Gears executive producer Rod Fergusson, to oversee the series move into a new generation. A path that began with the entertaining but conservative Gears of War 4 and is set to continue with the altogether more ambitious Gears 5.

“To be clear, Gears of War 4 feeling more of the same was intentional, it wasn't an accident,” Fergusson tells me in The Coalition’s boardroom. “But if we've earned your trust that we know how to make Gears of War. Now let's see how far we can push it and take you to new and interesting places.”

Gears 5: A new hero

That is a journey with new protagonist Kait Diaz, a supposed supporting character in Gears of War 4 accompanying Marcus’ son JD. By the end of the last game, it became clear that this new story was about Kait and her heritage. “This isn’t about you, it’s about me!” Kait spits at an interfering JD in one scene. A more obvious statement intent you are unlikely to find.