Gears of War: E-Day Creative director Matt Searcy compared the game's 4-player co-op campaign to the war movies Save Private Ryan and Band of Brothers. The main story about Gears of War: E-Day will serve as a prequel to the whole Gears of War franchise to date, which will cover the rise of the Locust Horde and the devastating attacks on the planet Sera.
The upcoming title from The Coalition is the first headliner Gears of War entry since 2019 Switches 5. Gears of War: E-Day will use Unreal Engine 5, with enhanced gore and dynamic destruction effects that players will see when they set foot in the city of Kelona for the first time. Gears of War: E-Day will feature refined character movement and more complex level design than previous entries. Further changes of Gear the series' iconic active reload system was also made in response to player feedback.
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Gears of War: E-Day's 4-Player Co-Op draws war movie comparisons
Even if Gears of War: E-Day will feature a sprawling city for players to traverse, the game's gritty campaign might evoke some Hollywood beats. In an interview with GamesRadar+, Searcy said that Gears of War: E-Days main campaign will focus on Bravo Squad. The four-man squadron consists of Gear veterans Marcus Fenix and Dominic “Dom” Santiago, along with series newcomers Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes. Searcy said the choice to have the upcoming title support 4-player co-op was an important part of Gear the core DNA of the franchise. When discussing Bravo Squad's fight through the city of Kalona, Searcy invoked some of the best war movies of all time as a comparison. Searcy said, “It's kind of like Band of Brothers or Save Private Ryanwhere you're following this group and they're not always going to be in the right place at the right time.”
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Searcy said the return of 4-player co-op to Gears of War series, which last appeared in Gears of War 3was a “big investment” from the start. Gears of War E-Days main campaign can either be played solo as any of the Bravo Squad members or in an online party with up to four players. 4-player co-op is supported in both the game's campaign and multiplayer Horde Siege mode. Even if Gears of War: E-Day has some hefty PC system requirements, the game will also have modes for handheld devices like the Steam Deck and ROG Xbox Ally setups. Considering the comparison with Save Private Ryantime will tell how big the impact is Gears of War: E-Days campaign will feature fans.
Gears of War: E-Day will support crossplay between Xbox Series X/S consoles and Windows PCs, including the Steam and Xbox Game Pass versions of the game. In comparison, two-player split-screen co-op will be exclusive to the Xbox Series X/S version. With that in mind Gears of War: E-Day will be available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere, the barrier to entry isn't steep.
Come October 6, Gears of War: E-Day will be one of Xbox's main torchbearers heading into the 2026 shopping season. It remains to be seen how many new players will jump into The Coalition's hit series.
- Released
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October 6, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Publisher
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Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
