As we wait patiently (or not so patiently) for Gears of War: E-Day, a few new tidbits of information have dropped.
I’m so excited that we’re supposedly getting a new Gears of War this year. What better way to celebrate 25 years of Xbox than with one of the most iconic Xbox franchises. It feels like an absolute age ago since it was revealed (and it was only 18 months ago!) at 2024’s Summer Game Fest. Since then though, the info about the game has been sparser than a Horde map in between rounds. That is, until now…
GamesRadar+ recently got to interview the developer’s Creative Director at The Coalition, Matt Searcy, and it revealed some new tasty bits of information.
Nothing But Bits (of information)
As we knew / expected (I’ve slept since 2024), Gears of War: E-Day is set long before the first Gears of War. We are reunited with Marcus and Dom (anyone else hear Mad World playing?) as they face off against the Locust for the first time. The game is being built from the ground-up in Unreal Engine 5 and although it promises to be the shiniest Gears out there (The Coalition are experts at making games look incredible), Searcy proclaims E-Day to be a celebration of “both the past and what’s to come in the future.”
I’ve always wanted to see the theatre of Emergence Day, I always figured it’d make a great setting. And now, it seems The Coalition are ready to tell that story. Searcy says:
“This is the story we were excited to tell and so the process has been super energizing. There are touchpoints in the lore for us to build from, but enough room that we get to bring new elements and ideas in. Getting to go back to the tone and vibes of the original games, exploring the details of Emergence, and imagining what would happen to a city (and the soldiers protecting it) as monsters poured out from the ground was a great starting point to reintroduce the Locust and these characters”
Ahhhh, They’re F*****g Up My Tomatoes!
Gears of War: E-Day takes a step back from the open-world style of the campaign of Gears 5. Instead, it is much more reminiscent of last year’s return to the OG game in Gears of War: Reloaded. Searcy claims this to be a much more focused adventure:
“The story of Emergence Day is really about what happened to the people of Sera. It was a massive, worldwide event, and we wanted players to feel the impact – so we decided to set this game in a single city.”
E-Day is set in the city of Kalona. It’s a city infamous in Gears lore for being one of the first cities to fall to the Locust uprising. Much like Reach in Halo, Kalona’s fall will be the focal point of the story, which takes place over several consecutive days. Searcy emphasises that they’re hoping the people will feel intimately connected with the city and the people.
There will be plenty of locations to see in Kalona. Many of which will likely feel familiar to those who’ve had experience in Sera:
- Downtown city streets
- Historical landmarks
- Military installments
- Industrial Imulsion refineries
- Forested outskirts
I Can’t Quit You Dom
There wasn’t much more detail given away in the interview. Suffice it to say that the bromance between Marcus and Dom will be celebrated, with Searcy seemingly excited at the relationship on offer:
“We think it has the potential to be one of the best stories in the Gears franchise, and certainly the most heart and emotion when you’re looking at Marcus, Dom, and the origin of the brotherhood that they forge in this game.”
Gears of War E-Day is scheduled to release sometime in 2026. It’s not on the billing for tomorrow’s Xbox Developer_Direct (but never say never right?!). If I was guessing, I would expect we’ll be getting it in the winter time, but we’ll have to wait and see. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we find out more information. Before you know it, it’ll be “time to get messy.”
Stay tuned for more coverage as it becomes avialable, and keep your eyes peeled for our coverage of the Developer_Direct.
