Gears of War: E-Day
Wiki
Relive Emergence Day as young Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, fighting the first Locust invasion of Sera. Get through a 14-hour campaign, team up in 4-player co-op, and hold the line in 12-player Horde Siege.
Your Gears of War: E-Day Journey
Four routes into the war — from your first firefight in Kalona to the final wave of Horde Siege.
© Microsoft · Steam01Beginner GuideCover, movement, active reload and difficulty choices — everything a new or returning player needs before Act 1.
© Microsoft · Steam02Campaign WalkthroughStep-by-step help for all 5 acts, with boss strategies and the fixes for spots where players get stuck.
© Microsoft · Steam03Weapons & CombatEvery weapon, from the Lancer and Gnasher to the new arrivals, plus how to win close-range fights against the reimagined Locust.
© Microsoft · Steam04Horde SiegeHow the 12-player, three-squad wave mode works, which roles to take, and strategies for the late waves.What players are searching right now
The ten questions with the most search demand at launch, each answered from official pages and verified press coverage.
Original illustration01PlatformsIs Gears of War: E-Day on PS5?No. E-Day is an Xbox console exclusive on Xbox Series X|S and PC — not a timed exclusive, per reporting.
© Microsoft · Steam02StoryIs Gears of War: E-Day a Remake?No. It is a brand-new prequel set 14 years before the 2006 original. The remake is Gears of War: Reloaded (2025).
© Microsoft · Steam03StoryGears of War: E-Day Ending ExplainedVraahk falls in a two-stage fight, yet Kalona is still lost. There is only one ending — spoilers throughout.
© Microsoft · Steam04StoryWho Is Mags Carter?A playable member of Bravo Squad: a former Kalona Siege Grenadiers demolitions specialist, voiced by Elizabeth Faith Ludlow.
Original illustration05PC PerformanceGears of War: E-Day System RequirementsHardware ray tracing and a 115 GB SSD are mandatory. Minimum is an RTX 2060 or RX 6600 for 1080p Medium with upscaling.
Original illustration06PlatformsGears of War: E-Day on Game PassDay one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Game Pass covers the Standard Edition only — early access needs the $30 upgrade.
Original illustration07PC PerformanceDoes Gears of War: E-Day Use Denuvo?No Denuvo. Protection is Steam DRM, Easy Anti-Cheat and Xbox network sign-in — but the game is reported not to launch offline.
Original illustration08Liquid Death PromoGears of War: E-Day × Liquid DeathUS only, September 25 to November 30, 2026: buy Liquid Death Energy through a linked retailer for the “Chainsaw Flex” pose.
© Microsoft · Steam09ReviewsGears of War: E-Day Metacritic ScoreMetascore 87 — the highest for the series since the Epic-era trilogy, ahead of Gears of War 4 and Gears 5 (both 84).
© Microsoft · Steam10GuidesGears of War: E-Day Collectibles140 collectibles across five Acts, all counted toward the “Memories From E-Day” achievement. Missed one? Replay the chapter.
Guides for your first night on E-Day
Three pages that settle the biggest launch-week questions without guessing.
© Microsoft · SteamHow Long to Beat Gears of War: E-Day
Officially more than 14 hours. Reviewers report 13–18 hours on Normal, and 100% completion adds roughly 4–5 more.
© Microsoft · SteamGears of War: E-Day Tips
Cover, blind fire, Active Reload, bullet travel time and Horde Siege class picks — the basics that keep you standing.
© Microsoft · SteamGears of War: E-Day Review Roundup
Critics praise the best combat in the series' 20 years; a thin story and AI squadmates who skip revives draw the criticism.
What is Gears of War: E-Day?
Gears of War: E-Day is a third-person cover shooter from The Coalition and People Can Fly, rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5. Set 14 years before the original game, it tells the story of Emergence Day, when the Locust Horde first burst out of the ground on Sera.
Play the campaign solo, in 4-player online co-op or in 2-player split-screen, then move on to Horde Siege and 4v4 Versus. Whether you are hunting every collectible, tuning your PC settings or picking an edition, this wiki covers it.
Explore All GuidesEditions, upgrades and hardware
Store prices and contents as listed at launch, kept apart from opinion.
Original illustrationGears of War: E-Day Premium Edition
$99.99 for up to 5 days early access, the Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack, five seasonal cosmetic packs and 1,000 Iron.
Original illustrationGears of War: E-Day Premium Upgrade
$30 for Standard owners or Game Pass members. It does not include the base game — lose Game Pass and you lose access.
Original illustrationGears of War: E-Day Collector's Edition
$299.99, sold only on the Xbox Game Studios store: a lit 15-inch Marcus and Dom statue plus all Premium content.
Original illustrationXbox Wireless Controller – E-Day Limited Edition
$89.99 / £84.99, released September 30: cracked-asphalt texture with red glow and the Crimson Omen at its centre.
The questions everyone asks
Official details first. Press reports stay labelled. Unknowns stay unknown.
Original illustrationGears of War: E-Day launched worldwide on October 6, 2026, unlocking at 15:00 UTC (8 AM Pacific). Owners of the Premium Edition, the Premium Upgrade or the Collector's Edition could start five days earlier, on October 1 at the same time. Pre-loading opened on September 29.
Original illustrationYes. The Standard Edition is $69.99 and the Premium Edition $99.99 on Steam. You do not need a Microsoft account to play there — linking one only matters for cross-platform invites and roaming saves. Campaign co-op, Horde Siege and Versus all support crossplay with Xbox.
© Microsoft · SteamThe multiplayer beta ran over two weekends in August 2026: an Early Access weekend for pre-order customers and Game Pass Ultimate / PC Game Pass members, then an Open Beta for everyone. Beta titles, medals and challenge rewards carry into the full game; player level and class progress do not.
Original illustrationThe game has an official Metallica tie-in built around “For Whom the Bell Tolls”. The song is used in the multiplayer trailer and the launch gameplay trailer, and an instrumental version is one of the four main-menu music options you can pick in game.
Gears of War: E-Day FAQ
Short answers to the most searched questions, with figures only where sources agree.
- How long is Gears of War: E-Day?
- The developer quotes a campaign of more than 14 hours, the longest in the series. Reviewers report around 13 to 18 hours on Normal, and finishing every collectible adds roughly 4 to 5 hours on top.
- Is Gears of War: E-Day on PS5?
- No. It is an Xbox console exclusive, released on Xbox Series X|S and PC through Steam and the Xbox app, and playable via Xbox Cloud Gaming. Reporting describes it as a permanent exclusive rather than a timed one.
- Is it a remake of the first Gears of War?
- No. E-Day is a new prequel and the sixth mainline game, set 14 years before the 2006 original during Emergence Day. The remake of the first game is Gears of War: Reloaded, released by The Coalition in August 2025.
- Is Gears of War: E-Day on Game Pass?
- Yes, from day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Game Pass includes the Standard Edition only; to play early or get the Premium content you need the $30 Premium Upgrade.
- What does the Premium Edition add?
- For $99.99 — $30 more than Standard — you get up to 5 days early access, the Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack, five seasonal customization packs starting with the Emergence Pack, and 1,000 Iron. There is no extra story content.
- Can my PC run it?
- Only with a graphics card that supports hardware ray tracing, and you need 115 GB of SSD space. The official minimum targets 1080p Medium at 60+ FPS with upscaling on an RTX 2060 or RX 6600 class card.
- Does it have co-op and split-screen?
- Yes. The campaign supports up to 4-player online co-op and 2-player split-screen on one Xbox. Horde Siege supports up to 12 players in three squads of four, and Versus is 4v4.
- Does the PC version use Denuvo?
- No. The game uses Steam DRM, Easy Anti-Cheat and Xbox network sign-in, so there are no Denuvo activation limits. Note that it has been reported not to launch without an internet connection.
Ready to Master Gears of War: E-Day?
From your first firefight on Emergence Day to the final wave of Horde Siege, our community wiki covers walkthroughs, collectibles, weapons and PC fixes.