Gears of War: E-Day is Xbox's next big release, and the key details are locked in: the game launches on October 6, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S and PC, joins Game Pass on day one and offers up to five days of early access with the Premium Edition.
Developed by The Coalition in Unreal Engine 5, E-Day is a prequel. The story goes back 14 years before the original Gears of War to show Emergence Day, when the Locust Horde erupts from below and starts the war that defines the series.
Below you'll find the release time, what each edition includes, the official PC requirements and everything else you need to know before you start.
When does Gears of War: E-Day release?
The worldwide launch is on October 6, 2026 at 8 a.m. Pacific Time, which is 11 a.m. Eastern Time and 15:00 UTC.
The game unlocks at the same time for Standard Edition owners and Game Pass members.
How does early access work?
Premium Edition owners can play up to five days early. According to Xbox, early access begins on October 1, 2026 at 8 a.m. Pacific Time.
Xbox also sells a Premium Edition Upgrade for $30 for players who already own the Standard Edition or play through Game Pass.
Is Gears of War: E-Day on Game Pass?
Yes. Gears of War: E-Day joins Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on launch day, October 6, at no extra cost for members of those plans.
How much does Gears of War: E-Day cost?
The Standard Edition costs $69.99 and the Premium Edition costs $99.99.
The Premium Edition includes up to five days of early access, the Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack, five seasonal customization packs and 1,000 Iron, the in-game currency.
Pre-orders also include the Exfil Dom character skin and the Exfil weapon skin set.
Which platforms is it on?
Gears of War: E-Day launches on Xbox Series X|S and PC, through both the Xbox app and Microsoft Store and Steam. Xbox highlights support for 4K resolution at up to 60 frames per second.
The game's Steam page also lists cross-platform multiplayer.
Can you pre-install it?
Yes. Pre-install opened on September 29, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, PC through the Xbox app, and Steam. Downloading early is worth it: on PC the game needs 115 GB of free SSD space.
Minimum PC requirements
The official requirements listed on Steam call for a graphics card with hardware ray tracing. Cards without dedicated ray tracing hardware are not supported.
OS: Windows 10 64-bit. Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, Intel Core i7-6850K or Intel Core i5-10400. Memory: 12 GB RAM. Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, RTX 5050, AMD Radeon RX 6600 or RX 9060. DirectX 12. Storage: 115 GB on an SSD.
Recommended PC requirements
OS: Windows 11 64-bit (25H2 or newer). Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 or Intel Core i5-11600K. Memory: 16 GB RAM. Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 5060, AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT or RX 9060 XT. DirectX 12. Storage: 115 GB on an SSD.
What game modes are included?
The campaign can be played solo, in two-player split-screen on console or in online co-op for up to four players.
On the multiplayer side, Horde Siege reimagines the classic Horde mode against waves of enemies, while Versus offers 4v4 PvP matches.
What is the story about?
E-Day follows Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago as young soldiers fighting to survive the first days of the Locust invasion. It is the origin of the friendship and the conflict at the heart of the franchise, set 14 years before the original Gears of War.
Is Gears of War: E-Day a good place to start?
As a prequel, E-Day is a natural starting point for newcomers: the story begins before everything else. Long-time fans finally get to see Emergence Day itself, an event the series had only referenced until now.
If you have Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass, you can jump in at no extra cost on October 6. If you don't want to wait, the Premium Edition unlocks the game five days earlier.
