// KOTAKU — GAMING
Everything We Know About Gears Of War: E-Day, Xbox’s Big Exclusive For 2026
Everything We KnowGears of WarGears Of War: E-DayXbox
It’s been over six years since the last new mainline Gears of War game. That’s quite a gap for the series, but at least fans don’t have to wait much longer. Gears of War: E-Day, the next installment in the sci-fi cover shooter series, is set to arrive later this fall. You might have a lot of questions about this new Gears game, like whether it includes co-op or will have a multiplayer beta. We answer all those questions and more below. Don’t thank us, just promise to provide cover fire when we need it.
Gears of War: E-Day is the next main entry in the long-running Xbox franchise about big soldiers fighting off creepy mutants. Like all of the mainline entries in the series, E-Day is a third-person cover shooter featuring grounded—but still sci-fi-inspired—weapons, armor, monsters, and locations. This latest entry is also a prequel, set before the events of the first game.
Gears of War: E-Day launches on October 6. If you pre-order the $100 Premium Edition, you’ll be able to play the game five days “earlier” on October 1. ( But remember, these games are being held hostage behind a ransom that you shouldn’t pay.)
Gears of War: E-Day is launching on Xbox Series X/S and PC. It will not be available on PS5.
Neither! As mentioned, this is a canonical prequel set before the events of the first game, and it’ll show how franchise heroes Marcus and Dom became the legendary bros we all know and love. We’ll also get to see the early days of the Locust attack on the planet of Sera and how the military and civilians reacted to this unexpected and devastating threat from below.
Yes! This time around, Marcus and friends are a lot more agile than in previous Gears of War titles. In E-Day, players will be able to slide, jump, sprint (not roadie run), and even take cover behind much lower objects by lying down. Why did they all forget how to do these things in later games? Uh… let’s move on, shall we?
Yup! In fact, according to the developers, the story campaign in E-Day is the biggest one ever featured in a Gears game, clocking in at around 14 hours long. And it’s packed with items to collect and even small side objectives, like rescuing people from a dangerous situation.
No! While there are some moments where levels open up and let players explore a bit more, the devs are adamant that E-Day isn’t an open-world game. The campaign is still a linear experience that just occasionally opens up a bit or offers some optional side objectives.
Sorry, but no. Those two characters don’t meet Marcus and Dom until the events of the original Gears of War.