Gab Hernandez 
The Gears of War franchise made an appearance at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase but it wasn’t Gears 6 as fans expected; it’s instead a prequel subtitled “E-Day.”
Despite being one of Xbox’s most successful franchises, the Gears of War series remained surprisingly silent for years. Gears 5 came out in September 2019 and enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim. The hiatus could be for any number of reasons, but the franchise suffering from poor sales or bad reviews certainly wasn’t one of them.
Reports of Gears 6 at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase increased in frequency as June approached. With Xbox’s revitalized attempts to revitalize its biggest IPs, fans took it for granted that Gears 6 was a lock for the event. To the surprise of everybody, the Gears franchise did appear, but it wasn’t for Gears 6.
Will there be a Gears of War 6?
Gears 6 is not in development, and the next game in the series and the next game in the series is instead Gears of War: E-Day.
Gears of War: E-Day is a prequel set during the titular day that the war with the Locust Horde began. Instead of continuing the Gears story, the series returned to its roots with a young Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago. After years of seeing Fenix as a grizzled veteran, it’s surprising to see him vulnerable and inexperienced.
Although the Gears of War franchise built its reputation on guns and gore, it still cultivated a faithful fanbase on the strength of its characters. The return of Fenix’s best friend Dom tugged at the heartstrings of older fans, especially after the character’s tragic passing in Gears of War 3.
A Gears of War 6 will likely come out at some point, as the brand remains strong and would likely continue on even if E-Day proves to be a catastrophic failure. But with E-Day as the next installment and the long development time, fans shouldn’t expect a proper sequel to Gears 5 any time soon.
When is the release date of Gears of War: E-Day?
Gears of War: E-Day does not have an announced release date.
Like many titles during the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, Gears of War: E-Day did not receive a release date. However, the trailer did confirm that Gears of War: E-Day would be available on day one on Game Pass, just like every other Xbox exclusive.
Although a prequel, the trailer’s tone is more in line with Gears 5. Given the events of Gears 5 focus on how humanity was as much to blame for E-Day as the Locusts, the prequel will likely explore those same dark themes. Fans hope they won’t have to wait too long for the next Gears title.
