In a break from previous games, the game's official title is "Gears 5," dropping the "of War" part of the title. This was a change that Rod Fergusson was pushing for, as using "of War" in conjunction with titles such as Gears Pop! and Gears Tactics felt cumbersome. He noted that "Gears X" was already common shorthand to describe the numbered installments of the series. Xbox marketing boss Aaron Greenberg clarified that the series itself still retains the name "Gears of War," though actual installments will simply use the "Gears" title. This was heavily criticized by fans as they preferred the title remain as "Gears of War".
For the protagonist of the game, The Coalition decided to shift player focus from JD Fenix to Kait Diaz. According to studio head Rod Fergusson, "It was a natural choice. When you play through Gears 4, think of it as Mad Max: Fury Road. It was really Furiosa's story, and Max was the side kick. That's how it felt in Gears 4, the whole game is about saving Kait's mom, and really JD is there to help her."