Microsoft plans to rekindle interest in Gears of War with Gears of War: E-Daya prequel co-developed by series stewards The Coalition and People Can Fly. Both of these studios have had a hand in the industry Gears of War saga as support studios, with People Can Fly porting the first entry to Windows in 2007, and The Coalition remastering Gears of War 2015, just to name two examples. Gears of War: E-Day could be a meaningful culmination of these studios' years of experience.
In the early years of Gears of WarBoth The Coalition and People Can Fly took somewhat of a backseat to Epic Games, which led the development of the original trilogy as well as Gears of War: Judgment. Starting with Gear 4The Coalition became the de facto “leader” of the IP, working alongside other support studios such as Sumo Digital and Splash Damage for Gears of War Reloaded and Gear's tacticsbut People Can Fly is arguably the more impressive developer overall. Indeed, People Can Fly has shown a penchant for creating cult classics, including 2004's Pain reliever and the greatly underestimated Bulletstorm 2011 (another Epic Games collaboration). Most significant is People Can Fly's 2021 looter-shooter Outriderswhich is arguably the company's best release to date. Unfortunately, it is also its most tragic.
This is how much it costs to make Gears of War: E-Day
A new report claims to reveal how much money Gears of War: E-Day developer The Coalition was awarded to create the franchise's latest game.
Outriders 2 was supposed to happen, but it never did
The First Outriders is an admirable game that never got the attention it deserved
When it first launched in 2021, Outriders was hailed by looter shooter fans as a game with a lot of promise. Its unique science-fantasy premise, satisfying shooter and player abilities, and genuinely rewarding loot system made it instantly appealing. Just looking at the game from moment to moment, Outriders is stronger than anything People Can Fly have ever released, even the fringes of more established marauders from the era that Division 2.
One of the game's most appealing features is that, despite looter shooter genre conventions and a Fate-inspired stock and UI, it never included any battle passes or microtransactions. People Can Fly specifically said so Outriders is not a “live service” title in the traditional sense, which made it a much-needed breath of fresh air. On a personal note, I love the combat mechanics in games like Destiny 2but can't quite stand the maze of DLCs and weaponized FOMO that the live-service formula thrives on; having such gameplay strengths without the less palatable aspects of the looter shooter genre should have done Outriders a massive hit, but that's not really what happened. In fact, the game's pro-consumer approach actually contributed to the cancellation of its sequel.
Why Outriders 2 never came to fruition
Square Enix, publisher of Outridersimmediately praised the game for its successful launch. Here's an excerpt from a 2021 press release from the publisher, specifically celebrating Outriders:
With over 3.5 million unique players, average play times of over 30 hours, and extremely high commitment to co-op play, we and the amazing team at People Can Fly are so excited about this initial success.
3.5 million dedicated players is nothing to scoff at, but it seems this momentum is quickly waning. Firstly, Outriders had a number of serious technical issues at launch, and while some players were able to look past them, many others showed a lower tolerance, swearing off the game before People Can Fly fixed its most serious issues.
Outriders failed to turn a profit. This has been attributed to a few factors, such as the aforementioned technical flaws and Outriders' release on Game Pass, but also to its lack of microtransactions. A successful live service title that Fortnite or Destiny 2 can be amazingly profitable through premium cosmetics and battle passes, despite how many players are strongly and vocally against such practices. For better or worse, live-service forms can result in theoretically endless money, which is what AAA publishers and developers often value above all else.
When it first launched in 2021, Outriders was hailed by looter shooter fans as a game with a lot of promise.
Regardless of the reasons behind it OutridersDue to lack of profit, Square Enix chose not to proceed with a sequel. This is sad in itself, but it's downright tragic when you realize that People Can Fly was reportedly almost finished Outriders 2chipped away at it until it was abruptly canceled in June 2025. This cancellation also coincided with mass redundancies at People Can Fly, which is a shame.
Forget the past – Outriders 2 could soar with a second chance
I can't say what would do Outriders 2 a greater financial success than its predecessor, but it is clear that the landscape for raiders has changed significantly since 2021. When the first Outriders came out, it went up against a number of more established titles in its genre area, viz Destiny 2. Now that Destiny 2 end of support, with no comparable, new game about to pick up the gauntlet, there may be room for Outriders to rise again, phoenix style.
No one should be surprised if the next few years are filled with self-proclaimed “Destiny 2 substitute”, but Outriders 2 has an obvious advantage here. Provided that the reports of Outriders 2s development progress is correct, it is an almost complete Outriders 2 just waiting to be capitalized. With years of work on Outriders 2 already logged in, People Can Fly could realistically get the game out the door in less time. At least the studio wouldn't be starting from scratch.
If only it were that simple. The latest reports indicate that Square Enix still owns the rights to Outriders IP, and is therefore in control of its destiny, so to speak. In other words, Outriders 2s fate depends on the choices of the company's overlords, not its creative minds. But there may still be hope here. After all, it doesn't look like Square Enix plans to release Outriders 2and the publisher has sold a number of IP rights in recent years (e.g Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, The legacy of Cain), then maybe it would let go Outriders for the right price. If it goes well with Gears of War: E-Daythen maybe Microsoft could cough up the necessary cash and see Outriders 2 to the finish line.
- 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
