It was no secret that Xbox and The Coalition would eventually release a new entry in the Gears of War franchise, but Gears of War: E-Day is a pleasant surprise that feels like just what the series needed.
First revealed during last year’s Xbox Games Showcase at Summer Game Fest, the game rewinds the clock 14 years, back to where it all began, and tells “the story of the first Locust emergence on Sera.” Instead of pushing the timeline forward, The Coalition is pulling us into the origins of the war, showing how the Horde first broke through the surface and what that meant for Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago before they became the seasoned COG soldiers we know and love. With a new trailer already teasing the game’s darker tone and cinematic scale, Gears of War: E-Day promises a return to the franchise’s roots.
If you are curious when Gears of War: E-Day will be released or want to learn more about its plot, setting, and trailer, here is everything we know so far about Gears of War: E-Day.
What’s the Release Date for Gears of War: E-Day?
Although Xbox hasn’t shared a concrete release date for Gears of War: E-Day, we do know it’s targeting a 2026 launch. During the June Xbox Games Showcase, Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer confirmed the timeline, teasing that E-Day will arrive as part of Xbox’s 25th anniversary lineup. “I’m excited to share that players will get to celebrate 25 years of Xbox with a new Fable, the next Forza, Gears of War: E-Day, and the return of a classic that’s been with us since the beginning,” Spencer said.
So, while fans have some waiting to do, at least we have a solid release window to look forward to.
What platforms will Gears of War: E-Day release on?
Since the Gears franchise has traditionally been a first-party exclusive for Xbox, it’s hardly surprising that Gears of War: E-Day will be a platform-exclusive title, available on PC and Xbox Series X, with day-one access through Xbox Game Pass. However, things have shifted recently. Xbox has been rethinking its approach to exclusivity, with Phil Spencer openly saying that he wants more Xbox games to be available across platforms like PlayStation and Switch. Talking about exclusives, Spencer told Bloomberg back in 2024, “I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say, ‘thou must not.’”
That puts E-Day in an interesting spot. While Gears has traditionally been tied tightly to the Xbox brand, there’s now a real possibility that it could make its way to PS5, or even the Switch 2, later down the line. While nothing is confirmed just yet, the door is clearly more open than ever. For now, though, the game will be launching exclusively on PC and Xbox Series X and S.
Are there any trailers for Gears of War: E-Day?
Yes, there is a trailer, and for now, the only one, for Gears of War: E-Day, which was revealed during the Xbox Showcase 2024. The trailer opens with an homage to the original Gears game’s iconic “Mad World” commercial, but this time, the soundtrack is an orchestral remix of Gary Jules’ haunting version of Tears for Fears’ Mad World.
The footage shows Marcus fighting a Locust Drone in a crumbling metropolis and is nearly overpowered before he manages to fire a brutal finishing shot. We then see Dom joining him, and the camera pulls back to reveal the ruins of the city of Kalona, showing the destruction left by the Locust assault. The E-Day trailer is dark, full of action, and nods to Gears’ early history.
Additionally, long-time fans will also be happy to hear that John DiMaggio and Carlos Ferro are officially reprising their roles as the voices of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago.
What else do we know about Gears of War: E-Day?
As one might expect from a high-profile release, Xbox and The Coalition are keeping details tightly under wraps. Beyond the single announcement trailer, we still haven’t seen any gameplay for Gears of War: E-Day, and there’s not much we know about the story. What we do know is that the upcoming shooter will be considered a mainline entry and take a slightly different approach compared to recent entries, according to creative director Matt Searcy. In an interview with IGN, Searcy explained, “We looked back at what people felt like when they played Gears of War or any of the Gears – Gears 4 included. But when people tell you what they remember playing, the things that stood out to them, the feelings, a lot of it is about these, kind of dark, almost horror-esque, scary moments.”
The game is being developed in Unreal Engine 5 and will be set in the city of Kalona, a brand-new location for the franchise. Furthermore, as per an Xbox Wire post, “The Coalition is working to recreate and improve the series’ trademark third-person action” using the new technology, and will retain the classic cover-based combat, with you moving between cover in life-or-death fights. However, the studio is exploring fresh ways to bring story into the action, something which we have yet to see for ourselves.
E-Day is being described by the team as an origin story centred on the brotherhood between the series’ two main protagonists, Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, who appear younger, more vulnerable, and less experienced than in later entries. The Coalition chose Emergence Day as the setting because it evokes the core themes of the franchise, such as brotherhood, brutality, and a sense of melancholic horror. The upcoming game will also return to a more linear format, reminiscent of the early Gears titles, and the story will take place over the course of several days to capture a single moment in time, showing how an unprepared civilization responds to a sudden, unstoppable apocalypse. To reinforce this tone, the studio is also redesigning the Locust Drones to look more intimidating, and the game will even introduce the origin of the Lancer Assault Rifle, the series’ signature weapon.
As per Searcy, “It’s us revisiting the tone and the feeling of what makes Gears great, but we’re tapping into new techniques, new processes, and new technology that’s going to make the gameplay feel better than ever. It’s going to be awesome, a game that feels both truly new, and authentically Gears.” The team also emphasized that creating a franchise origin story was an opportunity too good to pass up, though they won’t be abandoning the threads set up in recent entries. All in all, Gears of War: E-Day is looking like a thrilling return to the series’ roots, combining intense battles, a darker story, and we just can’t wait to see more of it.
