Gears of War HD Remaster Runs at 60fps - Report

On Friday, a report emerged that claimed Microsoft was working on an HD remaster of the original Gears of War for Xbox One. Now, additional sources speaking to Polygon have shed more light on the project, which remains officially unannounced.

The site says it has seen a handful of multiplayer screenshots for the new Gears of War remaster, noting that the Xbox One version features better lighting and improved texture quality. The publication adds that multiplayer runs at 60fps.

This frame rate, which previous Gears of War games were not able to achieve, is the staple of Activision's Call of Duty series. This year's Halo 5: Guardians will also run at 60fps.

In addition, the Gears of War HD Remaster will reportedly feature new cinematics.

Another source told Polygon that Splash Damage, the UK-based independent studio behind games like Brink and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, is handling development on the Gears of War HD remaster. Multiple job postings at the developer reference that the studio is currently working on a "very well known and highly popular AAA title with next gen technology."

Microsoft acquired the Gears of War franchise from Epic Games last year, putting its internal team Black Tusk Studios to work on a new entry in the action-shooter series for Xbox One. That project is separate from the reported remaster.

As for when Microsoft may officially announce the Gears of War HD Remaster, and maybe Black Tusk's new project, producer Rod Fergusson previously teased that fans should tune in to E3 in June. For its part, Microsoft has said its E3 presentation this year will focus on first-party games.

The original Gears of War was released in 2006 for Xbox 360 and PC. It has since spawned three major follow-ups: Gears of War 2 (2008), Gears of War 3 (2011), and Gears of War: Judgment (2013). A spinoff called Gears of War Exile--rumored to be a Kinect game--was canceled.

Though it certainly sounds like the Gears of War HD Remaster is in development, Microsoft has not offered any kind of statement whatsoever regarding the project.