The beta for Gears of War 4 is almost upon us, and we'll all finally get to see how The Coalition's first numbered entry in the series stacks up against its illustrious predecessors (you can read our early impressions of the beta right here).
So far it's shaping up to be a return to the staples that defined the series, which should ensure a familiar and engaging third-person shooter experience (hit the link above for all the details).
It has also been recently revealed that the new custodians of Gears are working towards kicking off a new trilogy for a new generation of players, and the studio seems to be keen on extending the Gears of War story beyond the events that transpire in the fourth numbered title.
Further adding fuel to this particular fire, according to studio head Rod Fergusson, unless things go badly wrong in the months ahead, there will very likely be a Gears of War 5.
"One of the things that's nice about Microsoft's investment is that we know, unless this does horribly, we're probably going to do another one," Fergusson told Digital Spy.
"That's made it easier to design moving forward. In the past, when we were doing Gears 1, Gears 2 and Gears 3, there was a lot of doubt, we didn't know whether there would be another one, so we just had to get everything in right now.
"Here, we're able to look at it, recognise a great idea that doesn't quite fit right now, but it'll fit in the next one. It's made it a lot easier."
The beta for Gears of War 4 kicks off on Xbox One on April 18, but only for those who picked up the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. Everyone one else will have to wait for the game to open up to Gold subscribers on April 25.
During the beta those who reach level 20 will get the Vintage Kait Reward Pack, which includes skins for the lancer, the pistol, and the character Kait. Players will also get a vintage Kait emblem and a bounty card offering a short burst of double XP.