Gears of War: E-Day is an upcoming third-person shooter developed by The Coalition and published by Xbox Game Studios. As the sixth mainline installment in the Gears of War franchise and set 14 years before the events of the original game, E-Day is set to be released for Windows and Xbox Series X/S.
| Gears of War: E-Day | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | The Coalition |
| Publisher(s) | Xbox Game Studios |
| Director(s) | Matt Searcy |
| Artist(s) | Aryan Hanbeck |
| Series | Gears of War |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 5[1] |
| Platform(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Third-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Premise
editSet 14 years before the events of the original game, Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, two soldiers from the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG), must survive the Emergence Day in which a race of subterranean creatures known as the Locust Horde emerges from their underground lair and overwhelms the surface world of Sera.[2] The game is set in the city of Kalona, a new location for the franchise.[3]
Development
editE-Day was described by the team as an "origin story" focused on the brotherhood between series protagonist Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago. The Coalition added the game will have a "modern take" on both characters, who are youthful, "vulnerable" and inexperienced in this game.[4] The team chose Emergence Day as the setting because they felt that it encapsulated several core themes of the series such as the brotherhood between the coalition soldiers, a melancholic tone, and a focus on both brutality and action.[5][6] The events in E-Day will unfold across multiple days, and the team's goal was to "capture a moment in time" and tell an "intimate" story, exploring how an ill-prepared and desperate civilization react to a sudden, nearly unstoppable apocalypse.[7][8] Similar to the early games of the series, E-Day had a large focus on horror.[9] Locust Drones, which were cannon fodder in early installments of the series, were redesigned in E-Day to look more intimidating and formidable.[10] It will also introduce the origin of Lancer Assault Rifle, a signature weapon for the series.[11]
E-Day, as a prequel to the original trilogy, was billed as a mainline installment in the series.[12] The team felt creating a franchise origin story was an opportunity "too good to miss", and reiterated that they were not abandoning the story threads established in the newer games in the series.[13] In contrast to Gears 5 which introduced elements commonly found in open world games, E-Day will be a more linear experience.[3] The game was officially announced in June 2024 with an in-engine trailer created in collaboration with Blur Studio and GNet.[14] It is set to be released for both Windows and Xbox Series X/S.[15]
References
edit- ^ Webster, Andrew (9 June 2024). "Xbox announces Gears of War: E-Day". The Verge.
- ^ LeBlanc, Wesley (June 9, 2024). "Gears Of War: E-Day Is A Prequel Set 14 Years Before The First Game Starring Marcus Fenix". Game Informer. Archived from the original on June 9, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Cryer, Hirun (June 11, 2024). "Gears of War: E-Day director says the new shooter will "absolutely be doing more" linear levels instead of Gear 5's open-ended maps". GamesRadar. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Chalk, Andy (June 10, 2024). "Gears of War is coming back with Marcus and Dom in an Emergence Day prequel: 'It's going to feel like a new Gears game, because that's what it is'". PC Gamer. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Partis, Danielle (June 9, 2024). "Reinventing A Mad World: Why Gears of War: E-Day Represents the Future of the Series". Xbox Wire. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Mercante, Alyssa (June 10, 2024). "Gears Of War: E-Day Will 'Scare The S*** Out Of You'". Kotaku. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Sanchez, Miranda (June 12, 2024). "Gears of War: E-Day Devs Promise Return to Horror From the Original Games". IGN. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Gerblick, Jordan (June 13, 2024). "Gears of War: E-Day takes place across "multiple days" in-game and is about sticking with the characters through "every minute" of the Locust invasion". GamesRadar. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Parijat, Shubhankar (June 11, 2024). "Gears of War: E-Day Will be Linear, Set in the City of Kalona". GamingBolt. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Jarvis, Matt (June 9, 2024). "Gears of War: E-Day takes the series back to the start of the Locust War, complete with a nod to Mad World". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Maki, Jonas (June 10, 2024). "We will get to chainsaw Locust in Gears of War: E-Day". Gamereactor. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Bankhurst, Adam (June 10, 2024). "Next Gears of War Game Officially Revealed at Xbox Showcase 2024". IGN. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (June 10, 2024). "Microsoft 'Is by No Means Abandoning' the Stories Told in Gears 4 and 5, Despite Decision to Do a Prequel Next". IGN. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Campbell, Evan (June 11, 2024). "Gears Of War: E-Day Trailer Was Done Entirely In-Engine". GameSpot. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Wales, Matt (June 9, 2024). "A young Marcus Fenix takes centre stage in Gears of War prequel E-Day". Eurogamer. Retrieved July 26, 2024.