Gears of War: E-Day Launches to an 88 on Metacritic, With Critics Split on Its Campaign

Gears of War: E-Day reached its full launch on October 6, 2026, on Xbox Series X and S and on PC, after a week of early access. The critical response is strong, with a Metacritic score of 88, but several prominent reviews share a complaint: the campaign runs too long (Pure Xbox, Windows Central).

Where and how to play

E-Day is available on Xbox Series X and S and on Windows through Steam. GameSpot reports that it is included on day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, and that the standard retail price is $70. PC Gamer lists a Premium Edition at $100 that adds five days of early access. No PlayStation 5 version has been announced.

According to the Xbox product page, the game is a prequel set 14 years before the first Gears of War. It runs on Unreal Engine 5, targets 4K at up to 60 frames per second, and pairs a campaign with split-screen co-op. Horde Siege and player-versus-player modes are also included.

What critics are saying

The Metacritic score stood at 88 from 50 critic reviews as of October 1, according to GamesRadar; earlier snapshots showed 87 from fewer reviews, and the number may keep moving now that multiplayer is being reviewed. That is The Coalition's best result in the series, ahead of Gears 4 and Gears 5, which both scored 84.

Outlet	Score	Verdict in brief
IGN	9/10	Combat and enemy design stand with the best in the series
Video Games Chronicle	8/10	-
PC Gamer	77/100 (per OpenCritic)	"Great shooting trapped in a horribly overstretched campaign"
The Guardian	6/10	Repeated environments, too many collectibles, weak side missions
Metacritic aggregate	88	Best-reviewed Gears from The Coalition

PC Gamer's review, first published as a review in progress, puts the story at more than 20 hours. The spread is useful for buyers: the shooting and spectacle earn consistent praise, while pacing is where reviewers part company. A player who wants a long single-player game may value the 20 hours; one who prefers a tight campaign may find it wears thin.

How it runs on PC

The PC Enthusiast found that at maximum settings with no upscaling, an RTX 5090 reaches only the mid 40s in frames per second at 4K, and goes above 60 at 1440p. It recommends the Ultra preset with upscaling for smooth play, and notes that the official system requirements assume upscaling is on. Those figures come from one early test, so wait for further comparisons before judging a particular card.

The studio behind it

GamesRadar links the strong reviews to unrest at The Coalition, reporting that story director Juan Vaca was laid off after the game went gold and that developers fear more cuts. Neither Microsoft nor the studio has commented on that report.

Where this fits

E-Day more than doubled Gears 5's Steam concurrent player record during early access, peaking at 20,374 players. The next player numbers will show whether the full release holds that audience. The game also joined Game Pass as part of a busy October for Xbox.

Is it worth buying?

For Game Pass subscribers there is little risk, since the game is included from day one. For those paying $70, the choice depends on taste: reviews agree on strong gunplay and a polished look, and disagree on length. Someone short on time may prefer to wait for a sale or play through the subscription.

What to watch next

Watch for PC performance patches, post-launch Steam player numbers, multiplayer reviews that may move the Metacritic score, and any Microsoft comment on the reported layoffs at The Coalition.

Related on Gadgets365

• Gears of War: E-Day doubles the Gears 5 Steam record in early access
• Battlefield 6 joins Xbox Game Pass on October 13
• Witcher 3 Remastered and Minecraft Dungeons II lead a packed week of releases