Gears of War E-Day: Story, Setting, Characters, Trailer, And Everything We Know

At the Xbox Games Showcase this year, Microsoft officially announced the next entry in the Gears series, and it's going back in time. Gears of War: E-Day, as it's called, is coming to Xbox and PC in the future. Of all the biggest reveals at the Xbox Games Showcase 2024, this was arguably the biggest.

The announcement is good news for fans who wanted to see the series continue, even if it may be going in the opposite direction on the timeline compared to what fans may have expected. Gears 4 ended on a dramatic cliffhanger, so some fans were hoping to see Gears 5 instead of a prequel, but that could be a story that's being saved for another day.

In this post, we're rounding up everything we know so far about Gears of War: E-Day, including what the story involves, who's developing it, what platforms to expect the game to come to, and more.

When will Gears of War: E-Day be released?

The Gears of War: E-Day announcement trailer did not include a release date, or even a release window, for the game. That's not uncommon, however, as plenty of games are announced without any indication as to when they might release.

Preorder Gears of War: E-Day

It's still very early days, and fans cannot preorder Gears of War: E-Day anywhere just yet. Game Pass subscribers won't have to preorder, though, as the game will launch into the catalog like every other Microsoft game does.

Watch the Gears of War: E-Day trailer

A trailer for Gears of War: E-Day aired during the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2024, providing the first--and so far only--look at the upcoming third-person shooter. The somber and intense trailer, set to a version of "Mad World" that Gears fans no doubt recall, did a good job of setting the tone for what to expect. Check it out below.

Gears of War: E-Day platforms

Gears of War: E-Day has been announced for Xbox Series X|S and PC. Microsoft is bringing some of its games these days to rival systems like PS5 and Switch, but for now, Gears of War: E-Day has been announced only for Xbox and PC. Microsoft is working on a next-generation Xbox console, but it's too soon to say if this new Gears of War game will show up there.

Gears of War: E-Day story, setting, and characters

The cinematic trailer shows a young Marcus Fenix struggling with a single Locust, something he's not prone to doing in the later games--but this a greener, less experienced Marcus.

Gears of War: E-Day takes place 14 years before the events of Gears of War. It focuses on Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago coming home to "face a new nightmare" in the Locust horde. The game serves as an origin story for the Gears of War series, and the name E-Day refers to Emergence Day. This is the day when the subterranean monsters rose up from below the surface to lay waste to humans.

While the game is called E-Day, referring to that one fateful day, the game itself will span multiple days and not just one, according to the developers.

Gears of War: E-Day game engine

Gears of War: E-Day is in the works at The Coalition using Unreal Engine 5, which is the latest version of Epic's game development toolsuite. Microsoft says Gears of War: E-Day will deliver "unprecedented graphical fidelity." As of yet, however, no gameplay footage has been revealed.

Who's developing Gears of War: E-Day?

Gears of War: E-Day is in development at the Microsoft-owned Canadian game studio The Coalition. The studio previously made Gears 5 and Gears of War 4. The studio also assisted 343 Industries with Halo Infinite.

Gears of War: E-Day development news

Gears 5 changed things up with its more open-ended maps, but Gears of War: E-Day will pull that back somewhat and bring back the franchise's more traditional linear levels. Creative director Matt Searcy told GamesRadar, "We know for sure that Gears, you know, has those linear, epic moments in them."

For Gears of War: E-Day, Searcy promised that the team will "absolutely be doing more of that" as it relates to more linear missions.

As for continuing the Gears of War story chronologically speaking, Microsoft said "other ongoing stories" in the franchise will be told... eventually. However, the "collective passion for such an iconic origin story was simply too great to ignore," Microsoft said.

Another important thing to know is Gears of War: E-Day is not a spin-off. "It's a completely new entry to the mainline series, set earlier in the timeline. The events of the game not only serve as an exciting origin tale of two beloved characters, but it also adds detail and context to this period that will resonate through stories that will follow," Microsoft said.

Keep checking back with GameSpot for more on Gears of War: E-Day as we learn more.