Gears of War 4 Special Announcements and Surprises Teased

Gears of War 4 releases in October, and the upcoming game will be the focal point of a San Diego Comic Con panel this month. The panel's description promises a behind-the-scenes look at Gears of War 4 with "special announcements and surprises."

The "Gears of War 4: Creators, Characters, and Cast" panel takes place on Thursday, July 21, at 2:15 PM PT in Room 6BCF. It lasts for an hour and will feature director Rod Fergusson, the game's cast, and guest panelists. Xbox's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb will moderate the panel.

Last week, Fergusson and Hryb met to discuss "super secret Gears of War 4" stuff. It's not known if the "super secret" discussion had anything to do with the upcoming panel, but GameSpot will keep you updated as more is revealed.

Gears of War 4 launches October 7 on Xbox One and PC. If you buy the game digitally on Xbox One or PC, you get the a copy for the other platform free. Game saves and achievements are available across your devices.

Additionally, players can get all of the previous Gears of War games for free if they buy Gears of War 4--digitally or at retail--before the end of 2016. Gears of War (2006), Gears of War 2 (2008), Gears of War 3 (2011), and Gears of War: Judgment (2013) will all be available digitally via Xbox One's backwards compatibility program.