Gears of War: E-Day launches today on Xbox and PC, skipping PlayStation entirely

Gears of War: E-Day launched today on Xbox Series X|S and PC, available on Game Pass from day one — and it will not be coming to PlayStation 5. Developed by The Coalition and People Can Fly, it is the sixth mainline entry in the Gears franchise and a direct prequel set on the day the Locust Horde first emerged to devastate humanity.

The console-exclusive designation is significant. Microsoft spent the past two years releasing its biggest titles — Halo, Forza, Indiana Jones — on PlayStation as part of a strategy to maximize revenue from its Game Studios investments regardless of hardware sales. E-Day’s Xbox-and-PC-only status signals that the company is using its most storied franchises as platform differentiators again, at least selectively.

The story is set 14 years before the original Gears of War, on the night the Locust Horde first broke through the surface in a city called Kalona. Players control young versions of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago alongside new squad members Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes, exploring the friendship and desperation of the first hours of a war that would eventually destroy civilization. The narrative focuses on brotherhood and survival before either character became the hardened veteran familiar from the original trilogy.

Multiplayer is substantial. The campaign supports four-player online co-op with two-player split-screen on consoles. Competitive play returns with 4v4 modes, and a new mode called Horde Siege puts 12 players into three coordinated four-player squads working through defense waves together. New weapons include the Gutpuncher grenade launcher and the Incinerator shotgun. Redesigned movement mechanics give players more mobility than earlier entries in the series.

Gears of War: E-Day is out now on Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Microsoft Store and Steam. Game Pass subscribers get it at no additional cost.