Cliff Bleszinski was once a key creative mind behind theGears of Warseries, and he has revealed what direction he would’ve taken the Locusts from the franchise after the third installment. Although he went on to work on some more games after Epic Gamessold the rights ofGears of Warto Microsoft, the developer, also known as CliffyB, has left the gaming industry but continues to share art that shows fans of the franchise what could have been.
The formerGears of WarLead Designer Cliff Bleszinski recently shared a Twitter thread of images of possible Locusts that might have been used in future Epic GamesGears of Wartitles beyond the third with some brief explanations of what they are. While CliffyB didn’t contribute toGears of War 4or beyond, the Locusts in the games have undergone their own changes, but nothing like what he has shared with his audience. The initialGears of Wartitles focused on Marcus Fenix and his squad, and though he fought back the Locusts successfully in his campaign, the latest title’s hero, known as Kait Diaz, has a deep and complex connection to the destructive horde which remains unresolved.
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The first potential Locust shared by Cliff Bleszinski shows a winged legless creature that resembles theVampire Lord fromSkyrimbut instead is emitting an orange glow that’s partially shrouded by smoke. Two of these incredible Locusts that never came to be are similarly winged and demonic, with one being a bit shorter and the other covered in lighter armor, with both glowing blood-red from their wings. Another unique creature in the thread showed what may be a pretty standard Locust that has been consumed by tentacles that have replaced its arms and droop down from its face and upper torso, while one is like a Cacodemon fromDoomthat has a sharp-toothed alligator face and seemingly smaller underwater creatures surrounding it.
The final post-Gears of War 3Locust idea shared by Cliff Bleszinski so far resembles a Qunari from theDragon Agefranchise with a fittingly dark twist that makes it a proper menace toGears of War’s COGDefense Research Agency. A black horn protrudes from near the creature’s ear, with glowing red eyes gazing into the distance and a wide open mouth showing multiple layers of teeth. Like the other Locusts that CliffyB teased, this one which has been dubbed “Big Bad” is clad in black spiky armor that may shield them from a few bursts of a Lancer assault rifle.
As many fans have expressed their disappointment thatCliff Bleszinski didn’t continue to work onGears of Warbeyond its third installment and finds aspects of it to be “woke,” others compared the creations to Lovecraft andDoom. One player took the Twitter thread as an opportunity to take jabs at the Locusts inGears 5, while another stated that the grit of the original games has been lost over the years.
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