The Coalition developed Gears of War: E-Day, released by Xbox Game Studios on October 7, 2026, after premium early access that opened October 2. The prequel was built from scratch on Unreal Engine 5 and shipped with the 12-player Horde Siege PvE mode and 4v4 Versus PvP.
The Coalition's current state is defined by one release. Gears of War: E-Day shipped on October 7, 2026, published by Xbox Game Studios and developed by The Coalition. At Summer Game Fest 2026 the studio said the prequel was built entirely from scratch on Unreal Engine 5 with zero asset reuse, and it returned to the full "of War" title after the abbreviated "Gears" branding of Gears 5. Studio Brand Director Nicole Fawcette said the change reflects a return to the series' roots as a military drama.
The game is set 14 years before the first Gears of War and covers Emergence Day, when the Locust emerged from beneath Sera and killed roughly a quarter of humanity. The campaign follows Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago, with two new squad members, Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes. At the reveal the campaign was described as expected to be the longest in the series at over 14 hours, with climbing mechanics, expanded cover systems, and a wider camera angle. A 12-player PvE mode, Horde Siege, was announced with a beta planned for August.
Early access opened October 2 for Premium Edition buyers and for Game Pass subscribers who pay for the Premium Upgrade, priced at 14,000 yen including tax, alongside a launch trailer showing a younger Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago. The standard edition followed on October 7 Japan time for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Steam, with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass support. Metacritic stood at 87 from 52 Xbox Series X|S reviews and 84 from 27 PC reviews at the time of writing. The shipped game added two-player split-screen and four-player online co-op, plus 4v4 Versus PvP.
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Oct 13
Xbox Game Studios released Gears of War: E-Day on October 7, 2026, with development handled by The Coalition. The action third-person shooter is set 14 years before the first Gears of War and covers Emergence Day, the Locust invasion that killed 25 percent of humanity on Sera. The campaign supports solo play, two-player split-screen co-op, and four-player online co-op, alongside a 12-player PvE mode called Horde Siege and a 4v4 PvP mode called Versus. The game runs on Unreal Engine 5. To mark the release, the official 4Gamer X account is running a giveaway through October 20 for one Gears of War: E-Day Xbox Wireless Controller. The controller carries a custom design by British heavy metal illustrator Luke Preece, with two crossed Chainsaw Lancers and a skull on the top case.
Oct 3
Xbox Game Studios began early access for Gears of War: E-Day on October 2, 2026, the same day it released a launch trailer for the game. Early access is open to buyers of the Premium Edition and to Game Pass subscribers who pay for the Premium Upgrade; the Premium Edition is priced at 14,000 yen including tax. Developer The Coalition built the game as a prequel set 14 years before the original Gears of War, covering Emergence Day, when the Locust emerged from beneath the planet Sera and killed roughly a quarter of humanity. The trailer shows a younger Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago alongside gameplay footage. The standard edition follows on October 7 Japan time for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Steam, with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass support. At the time of writing, Metacritic sits at 87 from 52 Xbox Series X|S reviews and 84 from 27 PC reviews.
Jun 10
The Coalition revealed new details for "Gears of War: E-Day" during Summer Game Fest 2026, confirming the prequel is developed entirely from scratch on Unreal Engine 5 with zero asset reuse. The title marks a return to the series' original name, dropping the abbreviated "Gears" branding used in "Gears 5." Studio Brand Director Nicole Fawcette said the change reflects a return to the series' roots as a military drama. Set 14 years before the first "Gears of War," the campaign spans 72 hours starting from Emergence Day, depicting humanity's first encounter with the Locust. The story follows Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago alongside two new squad members: former COG veteran Mags Carter and rookie officer candidate Lucas Reyes. Gameplay introduces verticality with climbing mechanics, expanded cover systems, and a wider camera angle. The campaign is expected to be the longest in the series at over 14 hours. A new 12-player PvE mode called "Horde Siege" was announced, with a beta test scheduled for August. The game is an Xbox Series X|S and PC exclusive following a policy shift by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. Release is set for October 6, 2026.