Bleszinski "fought" for new IP after original Gears of War

Former Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski "fought" to develop a new franchise after the original Gears of War, the industry veteran has said.

"Those of you throwing the Gears sequels in my face have no idea how hard I fought for new IP at Epic after Gears 1," Bleszinski said on Twitter. "No idea."

"Confused Gears fans: Angry there's no Locust in Judgment's MP. Ask for Pendulum wars game, ;)" he added.

The original Gears of War--developed for under $10 million--was praised upon release in 2006 and sold over 3 million copies during its first 10 weeks on the market.

Bleszinski left Epic Games in October after 20 years with the company.

Since leaving the Gears of War studio, Bleszinski has said he may open a new outfit and get to work on a project code-named Silverstreak. At the same time, he did not rule out the possibility of joining an established developer and has met with numerous companies, including Activision and Electronic Arts.