Reviving the Chainsaws: The Return to Sera in Gears of War: E-Day

One of its most beloved franchises is going to be revived when the XBOX SERIES X begins once again. Gears of War is a crown jewel of Xbox’s legacy, and the reason why Xbox exists today. The first game was released on the Xbox 360 in 2006, and was developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly. In 2014, Gears of War changed hands when Microsoft acquired the property from Epic, and it was now under the care of The Coalition to develop. Gears of War: E-Day is the series’ latest entry, announced during Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase in 2024. This piece will explain everything you need to know.

Understanding Gears of War: E-Day

Fundamentally, Gears of War: E-Day is a third-person shooter, and the latest in a series that has produced four previous titles (five counting the current game, developed under the series’ new guard as The Coalition). It’s a beautiful testament to the series’ visual evolution, using Unreal Engine 5 to push the graphical fidelity and immersion of the XBOX SERIES X.

A Journey Through Time with The Coalition

Through the remastering of the first three games for the Xbox One, to the introduction of an open-world component in Gears 5, the Coalition has always sought to take Xbox platforms to the next level of graphical fidelity during its time with the Gears of War franchise. With Gears of War: E-Day set to ‘raise the bar for technical excellence’, we’ll soon see the scope of what’s possible on XBOX SERIES X firsthand.

E-Day: The Dawn of a Saga

Gears of War: E-Day allows fans to experience the world of Sera (the planet in the future from which Gears takes place) from its defining event, the eponymous Emergence Day. E-Day brings gamers ‘not just Back in Time, but all the way back to the first instance of Dom and Marcus' lifelong friendship, to the very moment that created the world the series has come to know and to make their mark upon’. As with so much in Gears of War mythology, E-Day isn’t just a prequel, but a point of origin. It isn’t just a story about what came before. It’s a story that, by taking it back ‘all the way’ to the foundation, deepens and enriches Gears as a whole. Once again we get pulled into Gears of War’s dirty, sweaty world – the same world, only this time there’s a story we haven’t heard before. For veterans, E-Day has that rare quality whereby it’s both familiar and new.

A Leap Forward in Gaming Technology

Gears of War: E-Day showcases the raw ugliness of war-ravaged environments and character models in all its brutal, beautiful detail With the XBOX SERIES X, players are going to get a taste of what it’s like for every visual cue in Gears of War: E-Day – the desolation of war-ravaged environments and character models, featuring a more lifelike movement and intricacy of detail – to be rendered as powerfully as possible by Unreal Engine 5. This is evolution, not just for the series but also for XBOX SERIES X gaming. ‘E-Day’ exemplifies the kind of experiences that players can expect from next-gen.

The Coalition's Vision for the XBOX SERIES X

Gears of War: E-Day is an expression of The Coalition’s vision of the future of the XBOX SERIES X, because Unreal Engine 5 is not just another iteration of UE4, but not only pushes Gears into new territory – it also pushes the XBOX SERIES X forward into the future. Its development is both an experiment in innovation and an opportunity to figure out how to make games these days, different from what came before.

Gears of War: E-Day's Place in the Xbox Legacy

As an Xbox first-party title, Gears of War: E-Day bolsters the console’s catalogue, bolstering the XBOX SERIES X as the best place to play for story-driven experiences. The game being available as part of the Xbox Game Pass from launch is further evidence of Microsoft’s commitment to innovation, inclusivity and value, guaranteeing that the saga’s legacy endures among generations of gamers.

A New Dawn for Gears of War

Gears of War: E-Day is also about much more than going back to Gears of War’s roots – it’s about forging a new path for the series’ future. Viewing Gears through the lens of Emergence Day adds a new dimension to the renewed series, and gives its characters – from Marcus and Dom to the harbingers of darkness, the Locust – a starting point for new stories that build on the franchise’s legacy. The clock has begun ticking for the XBOX SERIES X, and what emerges will be an epic saga the likes of which no Gears fan has ever seen before.

About Xbox Series X

What you’re seeing here is the distillation of Microsoft’s gaming ethos – raw power, incredible fidelity. The XBOX SERIES X is the top-of-the-line Xbox, which means it packs insane performance to power experiences that players can only dream of. You, the player, will get faster loading times, higher resolution, and more connectivity. You’ll see the console bring experiences like Gears of War: E-Day to life and put a stage that lets developers like The Coalition bring their biggest visions to life. Our promise to you, the player, is this: don’t play games. Experience them.