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Gears of War: E-Day is the latest entry in the long-running cover-shooter franchise, and it will take fans back to the furthest point seen in the story so far. As the name implies, this upcoming game takes place during Emergence Day, and we’ll meet a young Marcus Fenix and Dom at the start of when it all went wrong.
Unfortunately, Xbox has yet to announce the official Gears of War: E-Day release date, with current market estimates expecting the game no sooner than 2025. However, there is an upside: The title will be added to Xbox Game Pass on day one, so as soon as a date is announced, subscribers will be able to play without putting any money down.
Here’s everything we know about Gears of War E-Day, including the predicted price, trailer, gameplay, and more. We regularly update this hub with the latest Gears of War E-Day news so you’re kept informed as soon as the information is hot off the presses.
Key Takeaways
- Gears of War: E-Day is a prequel set 14 years before the original game. It explores the legendary event when the Locust emerged.
- The game brings back series protagonists Marcus Fenix and Dom (yes), highlighting their brotherly bond during the first Locust invasion.
- It will retain the core third-person shooting mechanics with an emphasis on cover, though new gameplay details have not yet been revealed.
- Gears of War: E-Day is expected to be released around late 2025 or early 2026 on Xbox and PC via Game Pass.
- Fans are excited to return to the series’ darker roots and see Marcus and Dom back in action, though multiplayer details remain unknown.
What Is Gears of War: E-Day?
The Prologue to the Fan-Favorite Xbox Franchise. Set 14 years before the events of the original Gears of War, Gears of War: E-Day is a prequel that explores a key event in the Gears timeline that no game has touched on.
In prior games, E-Day is described as the day the underground Locust emerged and swiftly pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. Despite the moniker, the invasion of E-Day lasted more than a single day, and thus, the game will also.
Speaking to GamesRadar+, creative director Matt Searcy states:
“It’s not a day; it’s multiple days. But it is about the event — it’s about sticking with these characters from the moment, setting up the moment it happens, and being with them every minute through the days that play out in the city.
“And really experiencing it through their eyes, both what’s happening to them, and also what’s happening to the city around them, the people around them, the other characters.”
The characters he’s talking about will be the return of series protagonist Marcus Fenix and his companion from the original trilogy, Dom. This game will focus on these two, establishing the brotherly bond we see in future games.
Expected Gears of War: E-Day Release Date
An official Gears of War: E-Day release date or window has yet to be announced by Xbox. We’ll update you when we know more.
The smart money is in 2026 — but according to sources arriving via The Verge, the devs and publishers could be pushing forward for an E-Day launch in 2025.
The hope among fans is that the slow release schedule for some of the recent entries in the series can be chalked up to the development of those games during a global pandemic. Therefore, an optimistic view would be that it could drop before Fable (2025).
On the other hand, 2025 is already shaping up to be a busy year of releases. Additionally, the 20th anniversary of Gears of War 1 is 2026, which could be another sign it will be the year after next when we see E-Day.
Considering what we’ve seen and how long it takes games of this level of production to make — and that we are still at ‘first look’ status — don’t head down to the physical or virtual store just yet.
Expected Gears of War: E-Day Price
The official Gears of War: E-Day price has yet to be announced. However, given the current industry state, we expect this first-party Xbox exclusive title to retail for $69.99. This is consistent with several other Xbox releases, including Forza Motorsport (2023), which debuted for $70.
Without a confirmed release date, it is understandable why no Gears of War: E-Day pre-orders are live. However, you can currently wishlist the game on Steam, and there’s a landing page on the Xbox Marketplace, too.
It’s been confirmed that Gears of War: E-Day will be coming to Xbox Game Pass on Day One, according to the aforementioned listing. That means anyone with a Standard, PC, or Ultimate subscription will be able to play the game for no extra cost.
Expected Gears of War: E-Day Platforms
The only platforms we can be confident Gears of War: E-Day will be available for right now are Xbox and PC via Game Pass. Gears have always been exclusive to Xbox, even before the IP was acquired, so it seems unlikely to appear on PlayStation.
That said, Xbox has been getting bolder about bringing exclusives to other platforms. It seems unthinkable now, but by the time Gears of War: E-Day comes out, Xbox may have abandoned exclusives altogether.
This is the case with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which will be coming to PS5 a full year after its December 6, 2024, release date. Previous Xbox exclusives, Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves, also made their way to Sony’s latest system. However, Microsoft could be more protective of the Gears franchise; time will tell.
Gears of War: E-Day Trailer
We only have a reveal trailer for Gears of War: E-Day so far, but it is a stunner. It is a cinematic scene of a young Marcus in a brutal, desperate fight against a single Locust. The two wrestle over a rifle until Marcus barely manages to turn it on the beast and blast its head off.
When the ground gives way, Marcus is saved by Dom, and the two look out at a burning city under siege. The game appears to be set many years before the events of Gears 5 and is confirmed to be a prequel to this game. Unfortunately, this is the sole Gears of War: E-Day trailer at this time.
Is Gears of War: E-Day Gears 6?
Gears 5 left players on a major cliffhanger, so fans are concerned that the story thread will be abandoned. Thankfully, The Coalition fully intends to return to that story, stating:
“We’re not retreating from that storyline in any way. But in [this] moment, we had an opportunity to write our next step, and this one just felt too good to miss.”
Why Fans Are Excited
The Gears of War trilogy on Xbox 360 was one of the most popular titles on the platform. The story, gameplay, and multiplayer were all instant classics and are still played today.
Gears 4 and 5 didn’t leave as strong an impact, in part because of the new characters and shifting the story; however, staying spoiler-free, they did end up in a fantastic place.
Still, nothing gets Gears fans more excited than seeing Marcus and Dom back in the spotlight. E-Day also looks to bring the game back to its darker and horror-tinged roots.
Obviously, many players are also eagerly awaiting the day they can rip their friends in half with a Lancer and test their teamwork in hoard mode.
The Bottom Line
Gears of War: E-Day is taking the series back to its roots, literally and figuratively.
This will be the earliest game in the timeline, and fans are excited to see the classic duo of Marcus and Dom take the spotlight once again.
Besides the game’s premise of the initial invasion by the Locust, we don’t know what to expect from the story, which is exciting in its own way.
Multiplayer is also a big question mark, but Gears has never had a dud in that department. All we can do now is wait for Gears of War: E-Day to make its own emergence day.
FAQs
When is Gears of War 6 Coming out?
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Will Gears of War: E-Day be an Xbox exclusive?
What does E-Day mean in Gears of War?
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References
- Gears of War: E-Day takes place across “multiple days” in-game and and is about sticking with the characters through “every minute” of the Locust invasion (GamesRadar)
- Xbox delivered and Windows scrambles to secure Recall (The Verge)
- Gears of War: E-Day on Steam (Store Steampowered)
- Gears of War: E-Day | Xbox (Xbox)
- Reinventing A Mad World: Why Gears of War: E-Day Represents the Future of the Series – Xbox Wire (News Xbox)
- Gears of War: E-Day | Official Announce Trailer (In-Engine) – Xbox Games Showcase 2024 – YouTube (YouTube)
