Recommended Free Tools
iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
The Coalition’s Gears of War: E-Day interview lays out a game built around reactive Locust encounters, a new Horde-inspired mode called Siege, and PvP changes that add movement without abandoning the series’ cover-based identity. It also explains why rebuilding assets, animation and mechanics from scratch gave the team a chance to reconsider what Gears should keep—and what it could change.
In an interview at Gamescom published by DayOne on September 18, 2026, Studio Creative Director Matt Searcy, Art Director Aryan Hanbeck and Studio Brand Director Nicole Fawcette discussed the game’s combat design, modes, development and controller concepts. The interview was edited for clarity. Read the full DayOne interview.
| # | 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] | $16.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Gears of War 3 | $3.81 | Buy on Amazon |
How Locust encounters are designed to make players react
The Coalition describes enemy encounters as a combination of arena layout, cover, weapons, enemy types and AI—not simply a lineup of opponents with different amounts of health. Drones share an AI foundation, but individual units are given tactics that change how they pressure the player.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Searcy describes the roles as “flushers, pinners, or mirrors.” A flusher disrupts a safe position; a pinner keeps pressure on it; a mirror can answer the player in kind. The examples make the distinction concrete:
#1 Best Overall
- 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.
- CO‑OP YOUR WAY — Play online with up to four players across Campaign, Horde Siege, and Versus, or team up locally with 2‑player split‑screen co‑op on console.
- Grenadiers flush players out. They can use smoke to break a player’s cover position, then push through or around it.
- Boomers flush with area damage. Their explosions make staying in one spot dangerous.
- Grinders pin with sustained pressure. Their fire can keep a player occupied or limit movement.
The intended result is a decision rather than a rote target order: move, change cover, or deal with the enemy creating the greatest immediate threat. Searcy says the design should prompt players to reconsider their approach after a death and retry, too.
What Siege changes about the mode lineup
The interview describes three parts of E-Day: a co-op campaign, competitive PvP and Horde Siege. Searcy calls Siege the “big swing” among the three. It combines familiar Horde elements with new mechanics, more verticality and broader spaces, aiming to offer more variety in how a session can unfold.
Rank #2
- PREMIUM EDITION — Includes 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.
- CLASSIC COMBAT, MODERNIZED — Experience signature cover‑based gameplay enhanced with updated movement, traversal, and controls that feel like Gears while playing like something new.
Campaign and Siege also share systems such as weapon mods, tactical gear and supply caches, though the modes use them with different depth and earning systems. The team prototyped larger maps in the Gears 5 code base while it was bringing up Unreal Engine 5; Siege’s larger spaces also informed Campaign environments.
Is the classic 1-to-50 Horde mode in E-Day?
Not at launch, according to Searcy, who also said during the interview that there was no plan at that time to add the traditional 1-to-50 format. Siege is the Horde-style mode discussed for E-Day. Searcy contrasted its range of session lengths with Gears 5’s shorter Horde Frenzy format and said player response could help inform what the studio considers for future games.
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.
How long is the campaign?
Searcy described the co-op campaign as 14 to 20 hours. That is his estimate in the interview, not an independently measured completion-time result.
Why The Coalition says it rebuilt the game from scratch
Hanbeck says the team had to recreate assets, animation and mechanics. He describes that work as hard, but says starting again also created an opportunity to question design choices that might otherwise have survived simply because they were already established.
That distinction matters: rebuilding was not presented only as a technical burden. It gave the developers room to separate intentional parts of Gears’ identity from inherited decisions they could reconsider. The interview does not provide budget, staffing, schedule or crisis figures, so it does not establish the scale of development pressure in those terms.
What changes in PvP—and what stays distinctly Gears
Searcy says E-Day’s PvP is intended to feel new while remaining recognizably Gears. One major change for experienced players is a jump button, alongside movement changes that alter what skilled players can do. The interview does not frame the shift as a move away from the series’ close-range combat: Searcy points to the Gnasher’s strength at close range and says movement remains central to that play.
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
The studio acknowledges that Gears PvP has a steeper learning curve than some shooters. Social and bot playlists are intended to give players a place to improve before taking those skills into competitive play. The aim, Searcy says, was not to erase the skill ceiling or make the game feel like a generic shooter “wearing a Gears outfit.”
What the interview says about Xbox and E-Day controllers
Fawcette said the team was focused on E-Day and its work, and spoke about Gears as a franchise that had always been on Xbox. Those remarks describe the team’s perspective; they do not independently verify E-Day’s current platform availability.
Fawcette discussed two controller designs: a red E-Day controller with laser etching, a back-painted top case, a red-lit Xbox Nexus button and blank ABXY buttons; and a separate Design Lab controller created with UK illustrator Luke Preece. The interview gives no model numbers, prices or current stock information, so it is not enough to confirm a purchase listing or availability.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Quick Recap
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.
