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Gears of War: E-Day is being pitched as the ultimate 20th anniversary present as The Coalition locks in a 2026 release window

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We also got to see Gears of War: Reloaded in action for the first time

Gears of War E-Day release date: A close-up of Marcus Fenix with his face covered in blood during the Gears of War E-Day trailer.
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

The Coalition has confirmed that Gears of War: E-Day will be released in 2026.

The news came following the Xbox Games Showcase in an Xbox Wire blog post, where the developer also gave a first look at Gears of War: Reloaded in action.

The pairing makes for a compelling anniversary celebration for the Gears of War franchise, which debuted back in 2006 on Xbox 360. Reloaded is set to launch on August 26, 2025, and marks the first time the series has landed on a PlayStation platform. It's shaping up to be a pretty dazzling remaster of the 2015 remake of the original game, and should be considered essential ahead of E-Day.

That's because Gears of War: E-Day is a prequel, tracking the events of the original Emergence Day – often referred to by characters in the series, but never properly detailed. E-Day is when the Locust initiated a planet-wide assault on the surface of Sera, and the 2026 prequel will let us experience the horrors firsthand. This origin story will delve into the early life of protagonist Marcus Fenix, detail the making of the Lancer, and reunite us with Marcus' bestie, Dom Santiago.

Xbox has yet to set a firm 2026 release date for Gears of War: E-Day, but we do know that it'll land on PC, Xbox Series X, and will be available on day one through Game Pass Ultimate. There is no word yet on whether E-Day will follow Reloaded onto the PS5, although it would be a safe bet to assume that it will eventually.

Xbox Games Showcase 2025 needs to build on Microsoft's momentum, but it may need to go beyond The Outer Worlds 2 to pull it off.

See more Xbox Series X News
Josh West
Josh West
Editor-in-Chief, GamesRadar+

Josh West is the Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 15 years experience in online and print journalism, and holds a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Prior to starting his current position, Josh has served as GR+'s Features Editor and Deputy Editor of games™ magazine, and has freelanced for numerous publications including 3D Artist, Edge magazine, iCreate, Metal Hammer, Play, Retro Gamer, and SFX. Additionally, he has appeared on the BBC and ITV to provide expert comment, written for Scholastic books, edited a book for Hachette, and worked as the Assistant Producer of the Future Games Show. In his spare time, Josh likes to play bass guitar and video games. Years ago, he was in a few movies and TV shows that you've definitely seen but will never be able to spot him in.

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