Gears of War E-Day: Everything we know about the prequel

Eleni Thomas
Gears of War E-Day

Gears of War: E-Day is an upcoming prequel that takes place years before the original game in the franchise, so here is everything you need to know.

Other than Halo, Gears of War has always served as one of the biggest exclusive franchises for the big green machine, Xbox. 

The original trilogy was praised by critics and fans alike, many crediting it as being a driving force in the cover-based shooter gameplay that has infiltrated the video game industry over the past few decades.

After Epic Games moved on from the franchise, the Coalition took control of all things Gears, with 2019’s Gears of War 5 a major return to form for the franchise. 

In saying this, fans have been eagerly awaiting any news about a new Gears of War game, with the recent Xbox Showcase revealing that the devs are winding back the clock and developing a brand new prequel.

Here is everything you need to know about Gears of War: E-Day, including cast, plot, and more.

Gears of War E-Day: Plot details

Gears of War E-Day Dom
Dom is back in Gears of War: E-Day

The Gears of War franchise is taking a step back in time with E-Day, going even further back than the original game. 

Fans of the Gears series will recognize the significance E-Day plays in greater Gears lore and therefore, know what the game will entail.

Emergence Day, also known as E-Day, was when the Locust Horde first shot up from their underground hive and began the decade-spanning war against humanity.

In an Xbox blog post released after the initial reveal of the game, it was described as “an origin story that depicts the horror of Locust invasion on Emergence Day through the eyes of Marcus Fenix.”

Throughout the original trilogy, E-Day was often mentioned by the likes of Marcus and Company and is, without a doubt, a pivotal part of the franchise’s lore. A whole game dedicated to this story is likely to really flesh out the origins of the Locust hive even more so than in Gears of War 3.

While we can confirm both Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago will feature in the game, no other plot details have been revealed.

Gears of War E-Day: Cast

On the 18-year anniversary of the original Gears of War game’s release, the official X page (formerly Twitter) confirmed that John DiMaggio and Carlos Ferro would return in E-Day to reprise their roles as Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago.

Outside of these two roles, no other cast members have been confirmed for the upcoming game. As such, be sure to check back in with this section as we keep it updated with all the latest information.

Gears of War E-Day: Unreal Engine 5

Gears of War E-Day Marcus
Gears of War: E-Day is being developed in Unreal Engine 5

While the reveal that the next Gears game is a prequel was an exciting twist for fans, gamers became extra interested after it was confirmed the game would be developed on Unreal Engine 5.

“With the advancements in Unreal Engine 5, the leap in technical capabilities is tremendous,” explained Kate Rayner, Studio Technical Director at The Coalition, in a recent Xbox blog post.

“The original ‘Mad World’ trailer made a real statement by using in-engine footage. We’re pushing that even further with Unreal Engine 5,” Rayner continues. “Our goal with the announcement trailer was to highlight our commitment to pushing the boundaries of both storytelling and technology in gaming.”

Gears of War E-Day: trailers

As part of the Xbox Showcase, the first snippet of footage for Gears of War: E-Day was revealed at the 2024 event. It confirmed the return of Marcus and Dom and revealed that the game will be a prequel.

That’s everything we currently know about Gears of War: E-Day however, we’ll be sure to keep you updated as more details emerge in the coming months.