Whilst another entry into the Gears of War franchise was always going to happen, nobody could have expected one to be revealed so soon after Gears of War 3's release late last year. Game Informer have shocked us all however by revealing their July edition front-page, which teases us with an image hinting at the next installment in the impressive franchise.

The image shows a shadowed figure being led down a tunnel by two COG personnel in chains, which leads us to the conclusion that the game will indeed be a prequel set during The Battle of Ephrya; where Marcus abandons his post to attempt to save his father, which leads him to be branded as a traitor and sentenced to 25 years in the Jacinto maximum security prison. This image also debunks the theory of the game being set during the Pendulum Wars (where you'd play as Adam Fenix) as if you look closely, you'll notice Reavers, otherwise known as part of the Locust forces; which were yet to be revealed to the world at that time.

Not much else is known about the game (including its title) at this time, but Game Informer have revealed that the game will be revealed during Microsoft's press conference this Monday at E3 !

Here's the image:

source

Be sure to tune into FraggedNation through-out E3 where'll be providing a life-feed of all the juicy information!