I was initially doubtful, but after seeing the latest Xbox Games Showcase, it’s clear: Gears of War: E-Day looks amazing. It will be released on October 6th for Xbox Series X/S and PC, and you can pre-order it now. Just to confirm, it won’t be available on PlayStation 5. Xbox is now focusing on making some games exclusive to its consoles.
We’ll talk more about that later. Right now, let’s get you up to speed on pre-ordering E-Day, starting with a pretty surprising announcement…
Story Set-up
Marcus and Dominic have been like brothers, best friends through everything life has thrown at them. Interestingly, Dominic’s older brother, Carlos, was actually closer to Marcus initially. After Carlos died heroically at the Battle of Asphos Fields, Marcus and Dom drifted apart, but the events of E-Day will test and ultimately strengthen their bond.
Returning to Urban Warfare
What really struck me during the E-Day showcase was the line: “Gears plays best in a city, and Kalona is the ultimate battlefield.” This perfectly captures why this prequel is such a great idea. The city’s narrow streets, filled with wrecked cars and buildings, occasionally open up into wider areas, creating diverse combat scenarios. Essentially, this game is bringing back the intense urban warfare that made the original Gears so popular.
Kalona’s Districts and Character
The latest installment of E-Day takes place entirely within a single, incredibly detailed city called Kalona. Unlike previous games that spanned multiple locations, this one focuses intensely on Kalona, offering a multi-layered environment with diverse districts – from the historic, architecturally rich areas to the modern downtown core. The city isn’t just a backdrop; it’s an active participant in the ongoing conflict, and Bravo Squad is right in the middle of the action.
Bravo Squad
A core part of the Gears of War experience is the team, and this installment introduces two new members alongside Marcus and Dom: Mags Carter, a seasoned veteran pulled back into action, and Lucas Reyes, a new recruit facing the Locust invasion for the first time. As the story unfolds over three acts, the relationships between all four characters shift from initial excitement to a desperate fight for survival.
Low-Ground Cover, Sliding and Jumping
Cover is a core part of any Gears experience, and the latest installment is expanding on that with new low-ground cover options. Marcus can now fully lie prone against certain objects, allowing for precise over-the-shoulder shots. While seemingly small, this adds a new layer of strategic positioning and makes environments feel more realistic. Beyond cover, players can now slide while sprinting, duck under obstacles like trucks to flank enemies, and Marcus can even jump! These movement options feel natural and are particularly useful in specific situations, letting you quickly move into cover, leap across gaps, or get the jump on enemies with a close-range weapon.
New Locust Enemies
Despite never being classified as a horror game, the original Gears of War had that unmistakable atmosphere. Besides creating overwhelming odds and stressful situations, E-Day is bringing that back by making the Locust scarier than ever. It’s encapsulated in the cutscene where Marcus is slowly choked out by a Drone, unable to do anything, and saved at the very last second. Of course, there are also new Locust enemies, including that giant creature with chains that’s rampaging around, and you’ll even see Bravo Squad’s nicknames for each type becoming the actual names as the campaign rolls on.
Incinerator and Gut Puncher
Lest you thought it was all Lancers, Gnashers and Longshots, Gears of War: E-Day introduces new armaments to spice things up, starting with the Incinerator. Carrying Imulsion rounds, it burns through Locust with each shot (and even has an axe on the handle for close encounters). Then there’s the Gut Puncher, an armor-piercing grenade launcher that offers two modes: Rapid fire for your usual widespread explosive destruction or manual detonation, which can be triggered by holding the trigger after firing. It’s likely other weapons will be revealed over time, and we can’t wait to see what else is in store.
Optional Objectives
Despite the emphasis on urban warfare and the first game’s look and feel, The Coalition hasn’t completely abandoned the optional objectives of Gears 5. While traveling through Kalona, you might happen upon survivors in a building or a squad readying for an ambush. You can provide assistance or ignore them entirely. The choice is yours.
60 FPS Campaign, 120 FPS Multiplayer
How well will the game actually run? The developers promise a smooth experience with 60 frames per second for the main story, complete with realistic lighting effects. Multiplayer will even reach 120 FPS, though it’s likely this higher rate is limited to certain game modes. Either way, the visual quality and 60 FPS target for the story mode feel appropriate for this series.
Overhauled Destruction and Fully Dynamic Ray-Traced Lighting
There’s a strange satisfaction in the way things fall apart. The realistic destruction – glass shattering, walls crumbling, buildings collapsing – is visually stunning. It’s made even more immersive with vibrant HDR10 color, incredibly detailed Ultra HD resolution, and lifelike ray-traced lighting.
Revamped Facial Animations
The game’s facial animation has also been dramatically improved. Characters now have over 350 different facial shapes, allowing for incredibly detailed and realistic expressions. In fact, the level of detail in just one character’s eyelashes is greater than the entire character model from the original game released 20 years ago – showing just how far the technology has come.
Versus Returns
Versus is back with its 4v4 format and new maps set throughout the various districts in Kalona. There are new modes, but The Coalition is remaining tight-lipped on what they could offer. For now, you can expect the classic map design of the series with its symmetrical locations and fresh kill opportunities courtesy of the new mechanics.
2-Player Split-Screen and 4-Player Online Co-op
A great feature returning from previous games in E-Day is split-screen co-op, letting you and a friend play through the whole campaign together – and we hope this works on PC, unlike in Reloaded. For even more players, you can team up online with up to four people, each controlling a member of Bravo Squad.
Horde Siege
Horde Siege is shaping up to be the ultimate social experience in the game. This updated version of the classic PvE mode lets up to twelve players team up in squads of four to battle together. It promises to be incredibly intense, especially with larger city maps and a more expansive, interconnected world. I’m really excited to see how all the new features – like destructible environments, improved movement, and new weapons – will contribute to the mayhem.
Premium Edition Benefits
The Standard Edition will cost $69.99 and nets you the base game, while the $99.99 Premium Edition offers up to five days of advanced access, so you can start playing on October 1st. It also includes five Seasonal Customization Packs, with the Emergence Pack available at launch, but the seasonal roadmap – which has yet to be detailed – promises a lot of content, with almost all of it earnable by completing challenges and events.
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2026-06-11 17:43