Per a recent job posting, it seems that Microsoft Game Studios is looking for an experienced producer to work closely with Epic Games in order to:

“Lead the publishing side of games made by Epic,” and “drive the success of Gears of War and Shadow Complex.”

This will no doubt kick Gears fans into Locust stomping sequel speculation mode. Is a Gears of War 3 currently under development right now? The Ripten inbox may hold a clue.

My last email exchange with Cliff was about three weeks ago, as an effort to lock down a future interview with the Epic Games Design Director. While he didn’t come out and say “sure, let’s do it on x-date right after we announce Gears 3″, he did extend the following olive branch:

“Don’t have anything to promote right now. Best to try again after we announce something. :)”

If you take his response into consideration, pair it with the recent job posting, and a little cash cow common sense, you’re likely thinking that developement of another Gears sequel is underway. Only time will tell for sure, but the betting man in me says “heck yeah it is!”