Gears of War: E-Day was one of Microsoft's worst-kept secrets heading into the Xbox Game Showcase this month, but it was still a showstopper when revealed as the grand finale. The next installment in one of Xbox's flagship franchises was revealed as a prequel, "an origin story that depicts the horror of the Locust invasion on Emergence Day through the eyes of Marcus Fenix."
The announcement was accompanied by an intense cinematic trailer — all created with impressive in-engine footage — that reintroduced fans to a younger, much less experienced Marcus Fenixas he engages in a brutal struggle with a Locust Drone.
In a showcase filled with exciting reveals and announcements, Gears of War: E-Day was the perfect closure. Unfortunately, the reveal lacked any sort of release date information.
Release dates for newly revealed games vary depending on how early in development they are. We didn't see any actual gameplay for Gears of War: E-Day, which suggests it could be years before the game's release.
However, a new report from The Verge's Tom Warren, a reliable industry insider, suggests Gears of War: E-Day could be released as soon as next year.
In a new report, Warren recaps some of the exciting announcements to come from the Xbox Games Showcase while revealing what he knows or has heard about their potential release dates. He notes that sources have told him Fable could be released between October and December 2025.
When it comes to Gears of War: E-Day, he revealed that he had previously heard Microsoft was targeting a release in 2025, possibly "ahead of even Fable."
"That may have changed by now, so the lack of a release window gives The Coalition some breathing room here," he acknowledges. "Either way, I don’t think we’ll have to wait too long to see how Gears can really push the Xbox Series S / X consoles."
Microsoft has failed to really capitalize on its recent run of developer acquisitions. Xbox has been criticized for its lack of exclusives and even the ones that have been released recently have failed to live up to expectations. The pressure is on Xbox to deliver, which could indicate shipping Gears of War: E-Day as quickly as possible. But the publisher also has to walk a fine line and ensure that what is released is a polished product that lives up to the Gears of War franchise name. So far everything about Gears of War: E-Day sounds fantastic, so let's hope The Coalition can deliver another blockbuster shooter.
Gears of War: E-Day is in development for Xbox Series X|S and PC.