Gears of War: E-Day
Launches October 6, 2026 · Pre-orders open
Fourteen years before the first Gears: Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago on Emergence Day, when the Locust Horde first erupts from below. An origin campaign, 4-player Horde Siege and 4v4 Versus, all rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5. Pick Standard or Premium (with up to 5 days of early access from October 1) and your region: the Xbox Series X|S / PC key is delivered on release day and we email you.
Choose how your story begins
Five options, all as an Xbox Series X|S / PC key (Play Anywhere), in several regions. Premium opens up to 5 days early; the upgrade is for those who already own the base game. Pick the edition, then your region.
Standard
The base game: the E-Day campaign, Horde Siege and Versus.
Includes:
- Base game
- Xbox Series X|S / PC key (Play Anywhere)
- Delivered on October 6, 2026
+ Pre-Order Bonus
The base game plus the Exfil Dom skin and a weapon skin set for pre-ordering.
Includes:
- Base game
- Pre-order bonus: Exfil Dom character skin
- Pre-order bonus: Exfil weapon skin set
- Xbox Series X|S / PC key (Play Anywhere)
- Delivered on October 6, 2026
Premium
Base game, up to 5 days of early access and the season's customization packs.
Includes:
- Base game
- Up to 5 days of early access (from October 1, 2026)
- Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack
- Five seasonal customization packs (the Emergence Pack at launch; the rest as they release)
- 1,000 Iron (premium in-game currency)
MS Store (PC)|75
KeyPremium + Pre-Order Bonus
Everything in Premium plus the Exfil Dom skin and the weapon skin set.
Includes:
- Base game
- Up to 5 days of early access (from October 1, 2026)
- Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack
- Five seasonal customization packs (the Emergence Pack at launch; the rest as they release)
- 1,000 Iron (premium in-game currency)
- Pre-order bonus: Exfil Dom character skin
- Pre-order bonus: Exfil weapon skin set
MS Store (PC)|4
KeyPremium Upgrade (DLC)
Premium content only: if you already own the base game, move up to Premium without buying it again.
Includes:
- Up to 5 days of early access (from October 1, 2026)
- Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack
- Five seasonal customization packs (the Emergence Pack at launch; the rest as they release)
- 1,000 Iron (premium in-game currency)
- Requires the base game (not included)
MS Store (PC)|75
KeyPick your key
MS Store (PC)|75
KeyMS Store (PC)|4
KeyMS Store (PC)|75
KeyFourteen years before the first Gears
Gears of War: E-Day is the series prequel, developed by The Coalition and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is the origin story: Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago on Emergence Day, when the Locust Horde first erupts from below and a desperate fight for survival begins. Built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, with 4K and up to 60 FPS across campaign and multiplayer.
A threat from below
The tone is darker and grittier than ever: familiar enemies are reimagined to be frightening again, joined by all-new creatures and villains. The world feels more grounded, believable and dangerous, with atmosphere and detail pushed further than in any Gears before. The campaign drops you straight into the chaos of Emergence Day.
Horde Siege and Versus are back
Horde Siege reinvents the series' co-op wave survival mode with bigger maps and more players: pick a class (Assault, Marksman, Medic or Breacher), drop in as a 4-player squad and team up with other squads for shared objectives and world bosses. Versus returns with all-new maps and 4v4 modes, in Ranked or Social playlists. Cover-based combat is still Gears, with modernized movement: jump, vault, slide and flank.
Standard, Premium or the upgrade
Standard is the full game. Premium adds up to 5 days of early access (from October 1, 2026), the Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack, five seasonal customization packs and 1,000 Iron. The "+ Pre-Order Bonus" variants add the Exfil Dom skin and a weapon skin set. If you already own the base game, the Premium Upgrade (DLC) gives you the Premium content without buying the game again.
One key for Xbox Series X|S and PC
Every key is Xbox Series X|S / PC (Play Anywhere): redeem it on your Microsoft account and the game is yours on console and on Windows. There are EU and worldwide variants: pick your account's region, because it cannot be changed afterwards. On PC it is optimized for Steam Deck and Xbox Ally devices, with roaming saves, cross-platform invites and 2-4 player online co-op.
While you wait: the Gears series
If you want to reach E-Day with some context, below are earlier entries in the series in stock: Gears of War: Reloaded, Gears 5 and Gears of War 4, as keys for Xbox and PC, PlayStation 5 or Steam. Instant delivery after payment.
While you wait: Gears of War
How you get it
How each product in this campaign is delivered.
Frequently asked questions
On release day, October 6, 2026, throughout the day. We email you and it shows up in My keys. If your edition has early access, the date is that edition's (it is on the product page).