Gears of War: E-Day Is Out, and It’s Staying Off PS5

Gears of War: E-Day launched on October 6, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S and PC. It’s included with Xbox Game Pass, and Play Anywhere carries your progress between Xbox and Windows. Premium Edition owners have been playing since October 1 through five days of early access.

If you’re on PlayStation, don’t wait for a port. Microsoft has confirmed that E-Day is an Xbox console exclusive, and it is not a timed exclusive (Push Square).

The PS5 version that never was

Before Microsoft’s June showcase, a PEGI rating and retail listings included a PlayStation 5 version. That made sense, because Microsoft had spent the previous two years bringing Xbox games to Sony’s console. Then Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced on stage that E-Day would be exclusive to Xbox and PC, calling it the return of the series. Xbox marketing head Aaron Greenberg later said it is not a timed exclusive.

Journalist Jeff Grubb reported that a “basically finished” PS5 version exists and was shelved. Greenberg disputed the idea that the decision was made at the last minute (Game Informer). He said only a small group inside the company knew about the exclusivity plan, to stop it leaking early, and he called the PS5 logo in some early materials a mistake. Microsoft hasn’t officially confirmed whether a working PS5 version was ever finished.

What the game is

E-Day is a prequel set 14 years before the original Gears of War, on Emergence Day, when the Locust Horde first breaks through the ground on Sera. A young Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago fight through the city of Kalona with new squadmates Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes. The Coalition developed the game with People Can Fly.

At launch, multiplayer includes six Versus maps and three maps for Horde Siege, a new version of Horde where several squads can meet up for larger fights.

What critics are saying

Reviews are strong. The Xbox Series X|S version opened at 87 on Metacritic and later ticked up to 88 as more reviews arrived, while the PC version sits in the low 80s. On OpenCritic, around 90% of critics recommend it (Pure Xbox roundup, Windows Central roundup).

Reviewers praise the combat, which several call the best in the series, along with improved traversal and very detailed environments. The most common complaints are uneven pacing in the semi-open areas and a story some found weaker. PC Gamer’s review was the notable dissent, calling the campaign overstretched. Steam user reviews are also lower than the critic average, at roughly 78% positive. Note that most reviews covered the campaign only, because Versus and Horde Siege were locked during the review period.

Should you play it?

Our read: from our analysis of the reviews, if you have Game Pass, yes. It costs you nothing extra to try, and the campaign is getting the best reviews the series has had in years. If you’re buying it outright, the core shooting is clearly worth it. Keep in mind the launch multiplayer map list is short and the PC version reviewed a little lower. PC players should check our guide to graphics settings that give back the most FPS if performance is a problem.

E-Day isn’t the only big game this month: Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse and Modern Warfare 4 are close behind. See everything releasing in October 2026.

Edited by Kerwin Stewart, Editor-in-Chief · How we report