Former Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski is exploring a return to the video game industry after rediscovering his desire to create characters, worlds, and gameplay experiences. Bleszinski, commonly known as "CliffyB," is best known for his two decades at Epic Games, where he served as lead designer of the original Gears of War trilogy.
Xbox has a solid list of games slated for the future, but Gears of War: E-Day will do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to 2026.
In an extensive interview with 80 Level, Cliff Bleszinski revealed that he has started to feel creatively inspired by video games again while recovering from a tough struggle with alcohol addiction, potentially leading to a full return. After experiencing an alcohol-related seizure in March 2026 that resulted in his hospitalization, Bleszinski says he stopped drinking, entered outpatient treatment, and started therapy to focus on his health and recovery. The former Gears of War lead states that sobriety helped restore his creative motivation, explaining, "I want to create characters and worlds." While Bleszinski has not yet announced a full new game or studio, he has taken his first steps back into development by consulting on the upcoming...
