Gears of War: E-Day gets disappointing release update
It's been five years and counting since the last Gears of War (not counting Tactics), and while many guessed we'd be getting an announcement at June's Xbox showcase, few predicted exactly what Gears of War: E-Day would be.
Instead of giving us a proper Gears 6 to continue Marcus Fenix and Kait Diaz's story, we're going back much further, with Gears of War: E-Day following Marucs on Emergence Day. Set 14 years before Epic Games' first Gears of War, E-Day serves as an "origin story" to the Locust horde.
Gears of War: E-Day faces worrying release rumours
The Coalition showed off a suitably atmospheric story trailer (with an amazing rendition of "Mad World") at the Xbox showcase, but with it leaving us famished for more, we're obviously hungry for a release date. While we're yet to lock a date in our diaries just yet, there are swirling rumours that Gears of War: E-Day isn't exactly just around the corner.
In his latest notepad newsletter from The Verge, industry insider Tom Warren gave his thoughts on when we could be sitting down to play Gears of War: E-Day. Warren writes, "Microsoft didn't put a date or release window on Gears of War: E-Day, but a few months back, I'd heard it was targeting a release in 2025 - ahead of even Fable."
Warren continued, "That may have changed by now, so the lack of a release window gives The Coalition some breathing room here." He concluded, "Either way, I don't think we'll have to wait too long to see how Gears can really push the Xbox Series X|S Consoles."
That's all well and good, but according to trusted leaker Klobrille, it'll be 2026. Others seem to agree, and it's important to note that even Warren admits things might've changed. As others pointed out on X (formerly Twitter), 2025 would've likely been included in the trailer if that was the proposed date.
Someone else added, "I honestly think 2026 is for Gears. Fits the 20th anniversary," while another mused, "My guess/hope is as a launch title along with the start of next-gen (even though I'm sure it'll be cross-gen)." As Microsoft is rumoured to release a Switch-like handheld in 2026, things could line up nicely.
A two-year wait for the next Gears of War is sure to be an agonising one, but thankfully, Microsoft has plenty in the pipeline to keep us busy. After accusations that it's lacking on the originals front, the likes of Gear of War: E-Day and Fable suggest there's a bright (green) future ahead for Xbox.
