The Mad World returns, as Microsoft unveils Gears of War: E-Day

Microsoft and developer The Coalition are heading back to Emergence Day, for a Gears of War origin story.

Dom!

If you saw the Microsoft Xbox Games Showcase yesterday, then you got an eyeful. The show was jam-packed with massive games, coming up both this year and into 2025, and it ended on a high note. A very high note.

Not only did we get an early look at developer The Coalition’s next entry in the headlining Gears of War series, but it came by way of a trailer that hit some key notes, in much the same way that the very first Gears trailer did. Marcus and Dom were together again for this one, as we got a peek at what will be a full origin tale, with Gears of War: E-Day.

Before you ask though, no, this is no reboot. And yes, that means that the storyline that’s currently playing out across Gears 4 and 5 is still very much on the table. Actually, according to Xbox Newswire, some of what you’ll see in Gears of War: E-Day will factor into games yet to come. A little retconning? Maybe so, but with all of that said, presumably Gears 6 is still very much in the offing.

It’s just that the team at The Coalition decided to shift gears (pardon the pun) for a bit, and branch out for a tale that’s centered on the single biggest event in Gears of War history; Emergence Day.

Creative Director Matt Searcy explains:

“We realized that a lot of the words we use to describe the franchise were what our fans also use, phrases like brotherhood, brutality, pathos, awe,” says Searcy. “Why E-Day?  That’s the moment it all comes together. It’s the heart of the Gears universe. Everything that happens is shaped by this day.”  

The Coalition Creative Director Matt Searcy

The result looks to be a brutal, throwback take on the series. It’s an origin in more than one way, introducing Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago, the Locust, and even the first appearance of the full-on chainsaw-bayonetted Lancer. From the sounds of it as well, it’ll be detailing the horrors of a world that came apart at the seems, basically overnight, as the people of Sera were forced to deal with a threat unlike any other.

World Premier…

Did you catch the notes of Gary Jules’ cover of “Mad World” included at the close of this first-look? Hard not to get pumped up after that, as the song provided an emotional core for the very first Gears commercial years ago. Speaking of “years ago”, according to Searcy, E-Day takes place 14 years before the first game, and so will deliver a significant bump to the Locust threat.

This is a fresh event in this time period after all, and as mentioned, the world of men isn’t exactly prepared for… well, any of it. So to that end, even the lowly Locust Drone will be a tough enemy to overcome. But be warned, as a rule don’t expect any foe in Gears of War: E-Day to be a pushover.

“When players experience E-Day, they see the monsters through the eyes of those encountering them for the first time.” The design team prioritized redefining the Locust Drone, which had slowly become mere cannon fodder as the series progressed. “We transformed the drone into something fearsome, physically intimidating, and utterly brutal,” Hanbeck notes, highlighting its enhanced status just behind Marcus and Dom in the announce trailer. “Getting the drone right was crucial; everything else with the Locust we’re scaling up from there.” 

Art Director Aryan Hanbeck

It certainly sounds as though The Coalition is cooking with this one, and we can’t wait to dig into this return to form for Gears of War. Stay tuned for loads more on Gears of War: E-Day, as we head into the rest of the year. There’s no release date yet, but fans can watch for it to arrive for the Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Emergence Day can’t come soon enough.

Source: Xbox Newswire