Gears of War: E-Day

True Xbox exclusives are getting fewer by the year, but the next entry in the Gears of War series is one Microsoft is keeping all for itself. E-Day was announced during 2025’s Summer Game Fest, and it’s taking players all the way back to the inciting incident of the Gears of War universe. As we saw in the reveal trailer, this game will let players experience the initial emergence of the Locust Horde, the series’ main antagonist faction. E-Day happens 14 years before the first Gears of War, so it’ll give us a fresh take on familiar characters Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, presenting them as younger, less-experienced soldiers.

According to Gears of War creative director Matt Searcy, E-Day is a chance to get back to the roots of what makes the series special, particularly compared to the rest of the shooter genre, a fiercely competitive market.

“It’s that authenticity of Gears of War in an entirely new game that makes E-Day special,” Searcy tells us over email. “This is our opportunity to return to the elements that made fans fall in love with Gears – the iconic characters, brutal combat, and dark and gritty world of Sera, rebuilt and re-imagined. And, since it’s an origin story of the war that shapes the franchise, it’s a perfect time for both longtime fans and new players to jump in.”