Everything we know about Gears of War: E-Day

At the time of writing, players can choose between three distinct versions of the game, ranging from standard digital copies to a massive physical box set for the ultimate fan:

• Standard Edition: Includes the base game and day-one access via Xbox Game Pass.
• Premium Edition: Includes the base game plus a massive digital upgrade bundle:
  • Up to 5 days Early Access
  • Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack
  • Five Seasonal Customization Packs (starting with the Emergence Pack at launch)
  • 1,000 Iron (premium in-game currency)

• Collector's Edition ($299.99): The ultimate physical bundle built for hardcore fans. It includes everything from the digital Premium Edition (including the early access and weapon packs) housed in premium display packaging, alongside high-end physical collectibles:
  • A massive 15-inch collectible diorama statue of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago
  • A 1:1 scale premium metal replica of Carlos Santiago's COG tags
  • An exclusive custom SteelBook® case designed by illustrator Luke Preece
  • An in-game photo replica, a lithograph, and a thank-you note from the developers at The Coalition.

At the time of writing the Collector's Edition is out of stock, but you can get notified when it's available again.

(Note: Pre-ordering any of these versions before launch also unlocks the exclusive Exfil Dom Character Skin and the Exfil Weapon Skin Set at launch, alongside early access to the upcoming August Open Beta!)

Gears of War has always been the gold standard for cover-shooters: you duck, take cover, time your active reloads perfectly, chunk enemies to pieces, and roadie-run to the next safe spot. E-Day aims to refine this classic gameplay loop. Cover transitions are smoother than ever, environments offer a wider variety of cover heights, and players can now slide directly out of a sprint.

Most surprisingly, The Coalition is adding a jump mechanic. This introduces a layer of verticality never before seen in a mainline Gears game, completely changing how combat encounters flow.

The developers describe the combat as a "combat puzzle" - a philosophy that made the original games so spectacular. Level design is built like a strategic battlefield where every step forward requires tactical thinking. To make things even more intense, E-Holes (Emergence Holes) are making a triumphant return. Locust hordes will violently burst from the ground until you manage to seal the holes with a well-placed grenade.

You can't have Gears without its iconic weaponry. The Coalition is bringing back fan-favorites like the close-range Gnasher shotgun, the deadly Longshot sniper rifle, and of course, the Chainsaw Lancer. Interestingly, E-Day will actually showcase the origin of the chainsaw gun, which was kit-bashed as a prototype right on the frontlines of the invasion.

Gears of War: E-Day - Weapons

E-Day also introduces two devastating new weapons:

• The Gut Puncher: A tactical grenade launcher firing armor-piercing explosive rounds. Players can quick-fire for immediate impact or hold the trigger to manually detonate the explosive.
• The Incinerator: A terrifying, Imulsion-fueled shotgun designed to literally melt enemies on contact.

The Gears franchise has always been a graphical showcase for Epic Games' tech, and E-Day is no exception. Built entirely in Unreal Engine 5, the game promises to be a visual masterpiece.

The Coalition revealed that previous entries often inherited and carried over code from older installments. For E-Day, the team started completely fresh. Everything - characters, enemies, weapons, animations, audio, and the environments - has been built from scratch. With technical additions like dynamic ray-traced lighting and real-time environment destruction, the war-torn world of Sera will feel more realistic and terrifying than ever.

The move to Unreal Engine 5 also allows the developers to leaning heavily into the horror roots of the original 2006 game. As Studio Technical Director Kate Rayner explains: “We wanted to lean into the horror-adjacent elements Gears always had. Light and dark, getting into scarier spaces, dynamic shadows. This tech lets us do that in a way we couldn’t before.”

Players can also look forward to high-octane, blockbuster action sequences, complete with the return of the iconic, shaky 'camera-man' view during roadie-runs.

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: The next section contains story, character, and setting details for the campaign of Gears of War: E-Day. If you want to experience the Locust invasion completely blind, skip ahead to the multiplayer section below!

It simply wouldn't be a Gears game without a robust multiplayer suite. E-Day delivers on both the cooperative and competitive fronts. We have already talked about 2-player local and 4-player online co-op, but there is a lot more.

The headline addition to the multiplayer lineup is Horde Siege: a massive new 12-player PvE mode. In Horde Siege, three separate four-player squads must work together to defend large-scale city maps of Kalona against overwhelming Locust waves. It’s a bold, modernized reimagining of the classic Horde mode originally pioneered in Gears of War 2, built for a grander scale.

For the competitive crowd, Versus mode makes a triumphant return. Players can expect the traditional, sweaty 4v4 tactical PvP gameplay that the franchise is famous for. Versus maps combine classic, symmetrical Gears map design with the game's new, highly vertical traversal mechanics. Furthermore, The Coalition is promising a massive seasonal live-service roadmap packed with rewards, cosmetics, and challenges - almost all of which can be earned purely by playing the game and unlocking in-game achievements.