Gears of War: E-Day Developer Explains Decision to Craft Prequel

Gears of War: E-Day will once again see fan-favorite characters like Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago headline the next game in the franchise, but what about that unresolved cliffhanger from Gears 5? Will we ever see those lingering plot threads addressed?

Developer The Coalition has chosen to create a prequel, Gears of War: E-Day, instead of a sequel to address the Emergence Day story they were most passionate about. Studio creative director Matt Searcy explained that after the release of Gears 5 and considering the impact of the pandemic, the team wanted to start fresh with Unreal Engine 5 and tell the story they were truly excited about from scratch.

Gears of War: E-Day will not focus on the dark origins of the Locust as in Gears 5 but will showcase civilian casualties during the 14-hour campaign. The game, set to launch on October 3 for PC and Xbox Series X|S, will not be available on PS5. The Coalition has teased improvements in movement mechanics and an origin story for the iconic Lancer, with an open beta for multiplayer scheduled in August.