Just before throwing it to the Call of Duty showcase, Xbox’s Games Showcase 2024 closed out the show with one final reveal. While the event was already one of the best events in recent memory, they topped it off with the long awaited reveal of another Gears of War game. It wasn’t Gears of War 6 as everyone had been expecting, or a remake of the beloved original release from nearly 20 years ago, but instead we have a prequel titled Gears of War: E-Day.
Emergence Day
Gears of War: E-Day will feature fan favorites, Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago, as they progress through the invasion that happened 14 years before the events of the original game. This will be considered a mainline title that will hopefully shed even more light on the unfortunate tragedies that occurred when the Locust attacked.
This will be the origin of not only the story, but various other elements, such as the original MK1 Lancer weapon, which is the first iteration of the iconic chainsaw weapon we know and love. Fans can expect to see their beloved characters back, along with new faces to go along with them.
Gears of War: E-Day will be built from the ground up on the engine by the company that originally developed the franchise: Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5. This is looking to feature jaw dropping, state of the art visual fidelity. It will undoubtedly be immensely violent, with the past games having been known for their head pops and chainsaw dismemberments.
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Not The First Prequel
Hopefully, this will be a return to form for the franchise as the last couple of games, while good, fell short of expectations. In fact, even before Gears of War 4 and 5, there was another. E-Day is not the franchise’s first attempt at a prequel, as 2013’s Gears of War Judgment saw wise-cracking mechanic, Damon Baird, at the end of a tribunal for his actions during E-Day.
Along with the announcement, Xbox has also released alengthy trailershowcasing “In-Engine Footage” that hopefully will give players a taste of what’s to come. It features Marcus struggling against a Locust Drone, with his friend Dom helping him in the end as they overlook a desolated city, all while a version of the iconic Mad World song is playing in the background. It sets the mood perfectly and will no doubt bring back nostalgia for old fans.
The Future
While this is a prequel, The Coalition has stated that they have no intention of abandoning the events of Gears of War 4 and 5:
“We’re super proud about Gears 4 and Gears 5 and the stories that were told,” Brand Director Nicole Fawcettetold Xbox. “We’re not retreating from that storyline in any way. But in [this] moment, we had an opportunity to write our next step, and this one just felt too good to miss.”
Unfortunately, while The Coalition has been working on this for upward of five years, no release date has been given at the event. It’s safe to assume it won’t be out this year, with expectations being 2025 or further.
