Gears of War: E-Day, the prequel from The Coalition and People Can Fly, is collecting very positive reviews ahead of its official October 6, 2026 launch. Critics praise the combat, the city of Kalona and the grim atmosphere, but also point to weaknesses in the story, melee and PC performance. This guide rounds up scores, opinions and what to know before you buy.
What Is Gears of War: E-Day? Quick Facts
Gears of War: E-Day is a third-person shooter that takes players back to Emergence Day, when the Locust first rose from underground, 14 years before the original Gears of War. It is the series’ first mainline entry since Gears 5 in 2019 and was built entirely on Unreal Engine 5. If you want to know the unlock times and how to play early, read OtaHub’s release time guide.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Developer / publisher | The Coalition and People Can Fly / Xbox Game Studios |
| Release date | October 6, 2026 (early access from October 1 with the Premium Edition) |
| Platforms | Windows PC (Steam, Xbox) and Xbox Series X|S |
| Game Pass | Day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass |
| Modes | One to four-player campaign, 4v4 team matches, Horde Siege |
| Steam price | $69.99 (Standard), $99.99 (Premium) |
Gears of War: E-Day Scores on Metacritic and OpenCritic
The first reviews went live on October 1, 2026. According to aggregators, the Xbox Series X version sits at around 87 to 88 on Metacritic with no negative reviews, and the PC version at about 84. OpenCritic shows a top critic average of roughly 87, with about 90% recommending it. Several outlets say it is The Coalition’s best-reviewed game since Gears of War 3 in 2011. Sources cite slightly different figures because the number of counted reviews changes over time.
| Outlet | Score | Short take |
|---|---|---|
| Pure Xbox | 10/10 | Best combat in about 20 years of the series |
| DayOne | 10/10 | A brutal, engaging campaign |
| TechRaptor, But Why Tho?, MondoXbox | 9.5/10 | Praise for combat and atmosphere |
| IGN | 9/10 | Very positive, reviewed by Ryan McCaffrey |
| GamingBolt | 9/10 | Tight combat despite some story stumbles |
| VGC, GAMINGbible, GRYOnline.pl | 8/10 | Excellent shooting, welcoming to newcomers |
| GameSpot | About 7/10 | Disappointing story, fairly dull open areas |
| Wccftech | 7.4/10 | Some praise but calls it a "step back" |
| The Guardian | 3/5 | A repetitive campaign |
| Gamekult | 5/10 | Feels dated next to Space Marine 2 |
The table shows most reviews sitting very high, while a small group is less enthusiastic because the story does not fully exploit the prequel premise and the pacing gets repetitive. GamesRadar’s piece, by Andy Brown, is still a review-in-progress (waiting for the multiplayer to come fully online before scoring), but its early verdict is that the campaign is well worth playing.
Story: Emergence Day and the City of Kalona
The campaign takes place entirely in Kalona, an industrial city with Gothic architecture, dockyards and military forts that has just ended a war against the Union of Independent Republics (UIR). Marcus Fenix (John DiMaggio) and Dominic Santiago (Carlos Ferro) are slipping away from a military ceremony for drinks, after the death of Dom’s brother Carlos, when Emergence Day begins: the ground cracks open and the Locust pour out to kill indiscriminately. They form Bravo Squad with Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes and try to link up with a collapsing defense.
GamesRadar compares the game’s use of a single setting, recalling the city that was through repeated locations, to Halo 3: ODST. The bleak tone strips back some of the usual muscle-bound heroics to explore grief and humanity, although some comments say the dialogue can feel overwritten. On the other side, outlets such as VGC say the game leans on action over narrative depth, and several reviews note that the relationship between Marcus and Dom is not fully developed.
Gameplay: Adaptive Cover, Weapons and Mods
Combat gets the most praise. GamesRadar calls it the best cover shooter it has played since the Xbox 360 era. An adaptive cover system lets almost anything serve as cover, from car hoods to shin-high rubble, and Marcus can dive down and shoot while lying on his back. The absence of traditionally signposted cover makes Kalona feel like a real city rather than a level. Other critics also praise the improved movement, including jumping, climbing and sliding.
The Locust are described as smart enemies that press an advantage: crawlers rush your position while Drones dig in and try to flank. Special enemies appear rarely enough that they always surprise you. Limited ammo means you often fight with whatever gun you scavenge, and the Gnasher shotgun, the Longshot sniper rifle, the Incinerator and the Lancer assault rifle with its chainsaw bayonet are all singled out. Weapon and armor mods found in hardcases around the city have a big impact: one mod, for example, switches the Gnasher to slug rounds so it can pop Drone heads from a distance.
The downsides are melee, described as soft and weightless compared with the gunfights, and the fact that some guns are only strong with mods. Other reviews also mention repetitive side objectives, some dull semi-open areas and enemy AI that is sometimes inconsistent.
Co-op and Multiplayer: Horde Siege and 4v4
The campaign supports one to four online players, and two-player split-screen on consoles. For multiplayer, the game offers 4v4 team matches (including team deathmatch and a capture-style mode) and Horde Siege, a 12-player co-op mode split into three squads of four, choosing from four classes: Assault, Breacher, Marksman and Medic. One preview calls Horde Siege the most fun its author has had with Gears multiplayer, but outlets such as GamesRadar are still waiting for the multiplayer to be fully available before giving a final score.
Graphics, Performance and PC Requirements
The game uses Unreal Engine 5 with hardware ray tracing (Lumen) and MegaLights lighting. According to Wikipedia, the developers claim over 100 times more environment and character detail than Gears 5. On Xbox Series X, the campaign targets 60 frames per second and multiplayer up to 120. Critics praise the visuals and sound, but they also note stutter on some PC setups, a ray tracing denoiser that is not perfect and leaves shadows and reflections unstable, and bugs such as disappearing weapon upgrades or audio glitches.
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics card | RTX 2060 (hardware ray tracing mandatory) | RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 5060, RX 6700 XT, RX 9060 XT or Arc B580 |
| CPU | Ryzen 5 2600X / Core i7-6850K / Core i5-10400 | Ryzen 5 5600 / Core i5-11600K |
| RAM | 12GB | 16GB |
| Storage | 130GB SSD | 130GB SSD |
An important note: because hardware ray tracing is mandatory, older graphics cards without the feature will not run the game. The 130GB footprint is also large, so prepare an SSD ahead of time.
Gears of War: E-Day Pros and Cons
Pros
- Deep cover-shooter combat, an adaptive cover system and improved movement.
- Kalona is a richly detailed city that sets a grim mood true to the original.
- The Bravo Squad cast and the brotherhood of soldiers are widely praised.
- One to four-player co-op and Horde Siege add replay value.
- Available on Game Pass from day one.
Cons
- Melee lacks impact and some guns need mods to feel strong.
- Dialogue can feel overwritten and the story does not fully use the Marcus and Dom relationship.
- Repetitive side objectives and dull semi-open areas.
- The PC version is demanding (mandatory ray tracing, 130GB SSD) and has reports of stutter and minor bugs.
- Not much major innovation over earlier games, according to some critics.
Should You Buy Gears of War: E-Day? Editions and Price
On Steam, the Standard Edition costs $69.99 and the Premium Edition $99.99. The Premium Edition includes the game, up to five days of early access, the Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack and five Seasonal Customization Packs. If you already subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass, you can play from October 6, 2026 without buying it separately.
For fans of third-person shooters, the solo or co-op campaign is a strong pick thanks to the high scores and atmosphere. GAMINGbible calls it a good entry point for newcomers because, as a prequel, it does not require knowing every earlier story. If you care most about deep storytelling or you play on a low-end PC, consider waiting for patches or trying it through Game Pass first.
Gears of War: E-Day FAQ
What is Gears of War: E-Day’s Metacritic score?
After the first wave of reviews on October 1, 2026, the Xbox Series X version sits at roughly 87 to 88 on Metacritic and the PC version at about 84, according to press roundups. On OpenCritic the top critic average is around 87. The numbers may shift as more reviews arrive.
Is Gears of War: E-Day on PlayStation?
Not at the moment. The game launches on October 6, 2026 on Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S, and it is on Xbox Game Pass from day one.
What are the minimum PC requirements for Gears of War: E-Day?
The minimum is an RTX 2060 graphics card (hardware ray tracing is mandatory), 12GB of RAM, a Ryzen 5 2600X, Core i7-6850K or Core i5-10400 CPU and a 130GB SSD.
Is Gears of War: E-Day on Game Pass?
Yes. It joins Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on October 6, 2026. Premium Edition buyers get up to five days of early access from October 1.
How long is the Gears of War: E-Day campaign, and is there co-op?
Reviewers report roughly 14 to 16 hours for the five-act campaign. It supports one to four players online, plus two-player split-screen on consoles.
OtaHub’s Take
Gears of War: E-Day looks like a return in the right direction for the series: smooth, weighty combat, an impressive Kalona setting and a strong start in scores. The caveats are that scores from different outlets vary widely, the story may not satisfy everyone, and the PC version needs fairly strong hardware. OtaHub will update when more scores and multiplayer reviews arrive.
Source: Compiled from GamesRadar+, IGN, GameSpot, The Guardian, Pure Xbox, Wccftech, The Shortcut, GamerFuzion, Wikipedia and the Steam page. Images belong to Microsoft / Xbox Game Studios and are used for informational purposes. Information is current as of October 3, 2026.