Gears of War: E-Day is the newest entry in the Gears of War franchise, transporting fans back to the series’ inciting event. Announced during the Xbox Showcase in June 2024, the title’s first teaser trailer introduced fans to a young Marcus and Dom, as they bore witness to the destruction wrought by the Locust emergence on Sera. Over the years, the Gears of War franchise has shifted away from the events that resulted from E-Day, focusing instead on new characters, enemies, and overarching lore. However, the next entry takes the series back to its roots and explores the catalyst for the original storyline. While developer The Coalition may be tempted to inject fresh elements into the series’ most infamous day to differentiate it from past titles, Gears of War: E-Day doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel with its story.
Gears of War: E-Day follows Marcus and Dom on Emergence Day, when the Locust horde erupted from below the ground, and began laying siege to humanity. The title is expected to explore the series’ lore and offer insight into the motivations of its original protagonists. During E-Day’s announcement trailer, Marcus can be seen fighting a Locust soldier in a cramped living space, before being saved by Dom at the very end. However, little else is currently known about the title. Fans of the series have spent dozens of hours with a post-E-Day Marcus, as the character appears in nearly every title. Unfortunately, Gears of War’s most recent offerings, and their new storyline, have not been universally well-received by players.
Gears of War E-Day Needs to Ignore The Series’ Recent Formula
While Gears 5 was widely considered a step-up for the series, the franchise’s recent formula saw the Gears of War franchise inundated with original characters, locations, and lore reveals. What started as a straightforward fight for survival became a dramatic exploration of the Locust’s origins and protagonist Kait’s link to their deceased queen. However, the gameplay was universally praised, with Gears 5 delivering an exhilarating experience throughout its combat and vehicle sequences. With Gears of War: E-Day, The Coalition needs to lean on the title’s prequel identity, rooting it in the franchise’s past, rather than injecting various original elements.
E-Day is a well-known event in the Gears of War franchise, as nearly every title has referenced the day the Locusts emerged, in one way or another. Similarly, Marcus and Dom, the title’s two lead characters, have each had their stories, histories, and key motivations explored over the years. In exploring the series’ inciting event, Gears of War: E-Day needs to avoid the temptation of adding a variety of original elements, characters, and lore-altering revelations. E-Day, the event, is the catalyst for a much bigger story, and while Gears of War: E-Day will expand the emergence into a full game’s worth of narrative, doing so should not come at the cost of altering the nature of its purpose in the lore.
Gears of War: E-Day Needs to Embrace Its Prequel Identity
Rather than over-commit to telling a new story, Gears of War: E-Day needs to focus on making its prequel elements compelling. To do so, it needs to tell a straightforward story worthy of digging up two of the series’ most popular characters in their prime. Likewise, the title should restrict E-Day’s events to the past. While The Coalition is sure to add new details to the events of E-Day, it would be a mistake to introduce events, characters, or locations just to set up something for a post-Gears 5 title to explore.
It remains to be seen what Gears of War: E-Day will add or change about the series’ prior explanation of events. Regardless, returning the focus to Marcus and Dom will be a welcome experience for fans of the series. What’s more, recent rumors suggest that Gears of War: E-Day could be coming to PS5, meaning more players than ever could have the chance to experience the series’ biggest event. Until The Coalition or Microsoft reveals more, fans eagerly anticipate the release of Gears of War: E-Day.