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Xbox bets on Gears of War in battle of gaming giants
Gears of War E-Day was expected to be available on multiple consoles but has been released as an Xbox exclusive
Gears of War, one of the video games that helped Microsoft's Xbox to win over millions of fans, is back.
Prequel E-Day takes players back to where it all started, telling the origin story of humanity's conflict with The Locust - the series' horrifying enemy species.
The game's been well-received by critics and players, but it's also seen as a big test of Xbox's new direction.
Unlike recent flagship titles from the company's studios, which have been released on PlayStation 5 and, in some cases, Nintendo Switch, E-Day is being pushed as an Xbox exclusive.
The apparent goal is to draw players back to the brand, but critics have questioned whether that's realistic at a time when console prices are higher than ever.
BBC Newsbeat spoke to developer The Coalition - the makers of E-Day - about what staying exclusive means to them.
Gears of War has been one of Xbox's flagship series since it launched back in 2006.
Creative director Matt Searcy tells Newsbeat the sci-fi shooter is a "mix of war story with comic book-y monsters that come out of the ground".
"It's a video game with a lot of heart, a lot of blood and guts," he says.