Gears of War: E-Day early access is already live: it began worldwide on October 1, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time (15:00 UTC). The full launch is scheduled for October 6 at the same time. Early access requires the Premium Edition or Game Pass with the Premium Upgrade; standard Game Pass access begins on launch day.
Early access is live; the full launch is October 6
The Coalition announced that early access began worldwide on October 1, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time, or 15:00 UTC. At the current date of October 3, early access is underway. The worldwide launch is October 6, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time (15:00 UTC). Xbox Wire’s October 1 launch announcement gives both times.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Gears of War: E-Day | Standard Edition | XBOX Series X | $69.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Gears of War E-Day | Premium Edition | XBOX Series X|S and Windows Digital | $99.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Gears of War 3 (Renewed) | $14.17 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Xbox One - Gears Of War 5 - [PAL EU - NO NTSC]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51duB8cYpdL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Xbox One - Gears Of War 5 - [PAL EU - NO NTSC] | $54.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Gears of War 3 | $31.98 | Buy on Amazon |
To set a countdown, use October 6 at 15:00 UTC as the target instant, then convert it to your own time zone. For example, that is 8:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on October 6. A countdown may display a different local date or hour depending on where you are.
Who gets early access?
Early access is for players with the Premium Edition or Game Pass subscribers who also have the Premium Upgrade. A Game Pass subscription by itself does not qualify for the October 1 start. Xbox Wire’s September 17 access announcement lists Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass availability beginning October 6.
#1 Best Overall
- PRE‑ORDER BONUS CONTENT — Unlock the Exfil Dom Character Skin and the Exfil Weapon Skin Set in-game at launch.*
- AN ORIGIN STORY BEGINS — Fight alongside Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago in the gripping origin story of Emergence Day, as the Locust Horde erupts from below.
- A DARKER, GRITTIER THREAT — Face reimagined enemies and a terrifying underground invasion that restores the fear, dread, and intensity at the heart of the Gears of War series.
- MULTIPLAYER EVOLVED — Battle in Horde Siege for large‑scale PvE action or prove your skill in refined Versus PvP with greater precision and competitive depth.
- CLASSIC COMBAT, MODERNIZED — Experience signature cover‑based gameplay enhanced with updated movement, traversal, and controls that feel like Gears while playing like something new.
| Access route | Earliest play date | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Edition | October 1, 2026 | Early access; already live. |
| Game Pass with Premium Upgrade | October 1, 2026 | Early access for eligible subscribers with the upgrade. |
| Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass without the Premium Upgrade | October 6, 2026 | Game Pass availability begins on the worldwide launch date. |
Check the edition or subscription details shown in the storefront for your region before purchasing or upgrading; current prices are not established here.
Platforms and ways to play
Gears of War: E-Day is listed for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Steam. Xbox Wire also identifies cloud gaming through Game Pass Ultimate and GeForce NOW. Availability and access can differ by service, so check the relevant listing for your device and region. The October 1 Xbox Wire announcement names these platforms and cloud options.
Rank #2
- PRE‑ORDER BONUS CONTENT — Pre‑order to get early access to the Open Beta and unlock the Exfil Dom Character Skin and Exfil Weapon Skin Set at launch.
- PREMIUM EDITION — Play up to 5 days early and receive the Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack, five Seasonal Customization Packs starting with the Emergence Pack, plus 1,000 Iron to unlock additional in‑game content.
- AN ORIGIN STORY BEGINS — Fight alongside Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago in the gripping origin story of Emergence Day, as the Locust Horde erupts from below.
- A DARKER, GRITTIER THREAT — Face reimagined enemies and a terrifying underground invasion that restores the fear, dread, and intensity at the heart of the Gears of War series.
- MULTIPLAYER EVOLVED — Battle in Horde Siege for large‑scale PvE action or prove your skill in refined Versus PvP with greater precision and competitive depth.
PC system requirements: confirmed details and what remains unclear
Xbox Wire described its September 17 PC specifications as the complete, final requirements for launch, and an editor’s note says the accompanying image was updated September 28. However, the requirement rows are in that image and are not exposed in the article text available here. The full official CPU, memory, operating-system, and graphics-card tiers therefore cannot be stated reliably from the accessible text. See the official specifications announcement and image for the complete table.
A PC Gamer report published October 1 says the game requires a ray-tracing-capable graphics card and 115 GB of free space on an SSD. Those are reported requirements, not a replacement for the full official table. Before installing, confirm your GPU supports ray tracing and that at least the reported SSD space is free; then check the official image for the complete CPU, RAM, operating-system, and graphics-card requirements.
Rank #3
- Disc only. Original case and manual not included. Will come packaged in a generic case.
- This renewed game has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.
Pre-install timing
Pre-install began September 29, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time (15:00 UTC) on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Steam. That window has already started and is not a future deadline. If you pre-installed, check the platform you used for updates before playing. Xbox Wire’s September announcement gives the pre-install date and platforms.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- This item does not work outside US. We cannot guarantee compatibility. You can contact the call center for more information on compatibility.
- Enthralling cinematic story. Experience the epic finale to the Gears of War trilogy
- Unparalleled gameplay
- One of the definitive multiplayer experiences on Xbox LIVE
- Gears of War 3 pushes the envelope for stunning visuals on Xbox 360
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
