Black Tusk Studios Renamed The Coalition

by Andrew Brennan · Published June 4, 2015 · Updated June 4, 2015

Microsoft’s first party studio Black Tusk Studios has changed their name to The Coalition, studio head Rod Fergusson announced today on xbox.com. The studio, who are currently working on the Gears of War franchise have stated that “The Coalition speaks to who we are as a team, and what it is we’re working on”.

The name is also drawn from the Coalition of Ordered Governments in Gears of War lore. The intent of the name change is to encourage gamers to associate the name with the frachise. Much like 343i with Halo and Turn 10 with Forza, Microsoft want you to think Gears of War when you hear The Coalition.

This association can be seen as a negative however as it implies that Microsoft only want these studios making one franchise. A constant stream of the same franchise from one studio can lead to fatigue and stagnant sales further down the line. Look at the God of War franchise for an example of this.

In all likelihood Microsoft will be unveiling a Gears of War remaster at E3 this year, but this may not be the game The Coalition are working on. They could be working on a brand new Gears of War title, which could be shown in some capacity at E3 also.