The wait is over, and the verdict is strong. Gears of War: E-Day reviews went live on Thursday, October 1, at 6 a.m. Pacific, and the first impression is clear: The Coalition has delivered the best-reviewed Gears combat in years. The point that splits critics is something else, and we break it down below.

The game is a prequel set 14 years before the original Gears of War, telling the story of Emergence Day, when the Locust rise from beneath Sera and the war begins. Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago appear much younger, long before the events fans know.

The Metacritic scores

At the time of publishing, the Xbox Series X version held an 88 on Metacritic based on 24 reviews. Of those, 23 were positive and just one was mixed, with no negative reviews. The PC version sat at 84 across 27 reviews.

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The averages will keep shifting over the next few days as more outlets publish, but the message is already clear: E-Day launches as one of the best-reviewed Xbox games of the year.

Cover-based combat against the Locust in Gears of War: E-Day

The biggest fans

IGN gave it a 9/10 in its review in progress, praising how the game works as a prequel with strong characters while evolving enemies, weapons and combat. In IGN's view, the campaign stands toe-to-toe with any other in the series.

IGN Spain went further with a perfect score. Other outlets also landed in the 90s, including Italy's MondoXbox (95) and Latin American outlets Atomix and TierraGamer (90).

Eurogamer, which doesn't score games, summed up the overall mood: E-Day takes the best of the original trilogy and drops the excesses that have aged poorly. Game Informer was blunt and called it one of its favorites of 2026.

The reservations

Not everyone came away as excited. VGC gave it 4/5, praising the action but missing emotion in the story. Windows Central, also reviewing in progress, gave it an 8/10: it called the campaign incredibly fun but pointed to frustrating design decisions and messy execution in places.

GameSpot was among the more critical: it found the action meaty and the spectacle impressive, but felt the game doesn't do enough to elevate the franchise. The lowest score published so far came from France's Gamekult, with a 50.

There was even drama before the embargo: The Guardian accidentally published its review early with a 3/5 and pulled it shortly after. It called the campaign repetitive but still recognized the combat as the best in the series.

Young Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago in Gears of War: E-Day

The consensus: elite combat, uneven story

Reading the reviews side by side, the picture is very consistent. Almost everyone agrees cover shooting has never felt better: weightier weapons, enemies that push harder and huge set pieces built in Unreal Engine 5.

The disagreement is about the story. As a prequel, E-Day's ending is already known to longtime fans, and some critics felt the campaign doesn't generate as much emotion as it should. There are also scattered complaints about a repetitive structure in some stretches.

Our take

For people who play Gears for the combat, which is most of the fanbase, these reviews are the best possible news. When even the most critical reviews praise the gameplay, it means the foundation is rock solid.

The story caveat is fair and worth keeping in mind if you're hoping for a campaign as emotional as Gears 3. But it matters less than it seems: E-Day still has co-op, Horde and multiplayer, the modes that keep Gears alive for years.

And one factor changes the math for a lot of players: the game is on Game Pass from day one. For subscribers, the question isn't whether it's worth full price but whether it's worth the download. Based on the reviews, it is.

A city on Sera being torn apart on Emergence Day in Gears of War: E-Day

When you can play

Premium Edition early access began today, October 1, at 8 a.m. Pacific. The worldwide launch is Tuesday, October 6, also at 8 a.m. Pacific, on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

If you're playing on PC, check the minimum and recommended specs first: E-Day requires a ray tracing-capable graphics card and 115 GB of free SSD space. We've gathered all of that, plus pricing and edition differences, in our Gears of War: E-Day launch guide.

FAQ

What is Gears of War: E-Day's Metacritic score? At the time of publishing, 88 on Xbox Series X (24 reviews) and 84 on PC (27 reviews). The averages may still change as more reviews come in.

Is Gears of War: E-Day good? For most critics, yes: the combat is being called the best in the series. The main caveat is the story, which some outlets found less emotional than expected.

Is Gears of War: E-Day on Game Pass? Yes, on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass from launch day, October 6.

Can I play it now? Yes, if you bought the Premium Edition, which grants early access from October 1. Everyone else starts on October 6.