Gears of War studio head addresses layoff worries after E-Day release, says next game won't take 'nearly as long'

The Coalition studio head Mike Crump has addressed reports that staff feared layoffs following the release of Gears of War: E-Day, telling the BBC that layoffs are out of the team's control and they should focus on shipping a great game. Crump said E-Day, which was largely built from scratch, will provide "a great foundation" for future entries, meaning the next game will not take nearly as long to make. Reports had said Xbox laid off story director Juan Vaca two weeks before release, and some staff worried about missing a contracted bonus tied to a Metacritic score, with the game currently at 87.