The release window for Gears of War: E-Day has been revealed as part of the Xbox Showcase at Summer Games Fest, highlighting (somewhat) exactly how long fans need to wait for a return to the franchise.
During a segment updating on future releases, Xbox head Phil Spencer said that the game is scheduled to release sometime in 2026. While still vague, it did show that the release is approaching and will be here sooner than people think.
Initially announced at the 2024 Xbox Showcase, Gears of War: E-Day takes place before the events of the original game.
“Experience the brutal horror of Emergence Day through the eyes of Marcus Fenix in the origin story of one of gaming’s most acclaimed sagas,” the game’s description reads. “Fourteen years before Gears of War, war heroes Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago return home to face a new nightmare: the Locust Horde.”
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The original Gears of War launched on November 14, 2006. If Xbox and developer The Coalition want to honor the original, saving the release of the latest installment for around the same time as the 20th anniversary would be a way to do it.
Gears of War: E-Day isn’t the only Gears of War title on the way. Gears of War: Reloaded launches on August 26, and brings the franchise to PlayStation for the first time. During the Xbox Games Showcase for 2025, a new trailer for the game was revealed.
Are you surprised that Gears of War: E-Day is coming in 2026? Let us know down below, and join the discussion in the official Insider Gaming forums.
For more Insider Gaming, read about Final Fantasy 16 being shadow-dropped on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC. And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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