Will Gears of War: E-Day Be A Game of the Year Contender?

Gears of War: E-Day has been one of my most anticipated games ever since it was announced two years ago at the Xbox Games Showcase. We got even more exciting news about this upcoming third-person shooter back in June with a deep-dive developer direct and confirmation that it will be an Xbox console exclusive.

Now that we are less than 30 days away from launch, I want to have an open discussion about Gears of War E-Day and ask whether it could become a Game of the Year contender. Before I share my own answer, let’s first talk about what this game is and my overall impressions based on what I’ve played so far.

Gears of War: E-Day is the sixth main installment in the series and the prequel to the original Gears of War. Set on the planet Sera 14 years before the first game, the story highlights Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago as they adjust to life after the Pendulum Wars. Peaceful at first, everything quickly turns upside down on Emergence Day when Locust hordes launch unrelenting surprise attacks across Sera and the city of Kalona, where our heroes are based. Marcus and Dom must now join forces with Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes to form a Delta Squad ready for war.

I played both the Gears of War: E-Day early access preview and open multiplayer betas a while ago. As soon as I started playing, I was instantly reminded how much fun the original Gears of War multiplayer experience was. The two featured multiplayer modes were Horde Siege and Versus. Horde Siege could be best described as an insane 12-player PvE mode where 3 squads of 4 players must complete objectives while facing waves of locusts and the occasional boss. Versus mode is the standard PvP mode that we have come to expect from Gears games.

I enjoyed playing both modes, despite getting my ass kicked more than a few times. I love that The Coalition is honoring the grittiness these multiplayer experiences are known for and has leaned heavily into making strategy and teamwork core components to survival. Horde Siege is a perfect example of this evolution because you need to communicate with your partners to make sure you’re all on the same page when completing objectives.

While I had some success with the teammates I played with during the beta, this mode feels like it will work best with established friends instead of strangers, especially if there isn’t any team communication over headsets. I’ll be curious to see how this mode does once the game launches and more people are on the servers.

While multiplayer plays a crucial role in any Gears game, I would argue the story campaign is equally, if not more, important. In the case of E-Day, this is especially true because we are witnessing the start of Emergence Day and what led to the series of games we’ve been playing over the last 20 years. Not only do we get to see both Marcus and Dom grow as characters, but we are also introduced to new heroes and villains that are all a part of the puzzle.

So with all that said, do I think Gears of War: E-Day has a shot at becoming a game of the year contender? 1000% yes. What I’ve played so far feels like a series reset designed to please longtime fans while attracting new ones. Marcus and Dom are two iconic characters that people love, and seeing early parts of their story will be interesting to witness and dissect.

Also, while Xbox has had a few first-party releases this year, E-Day stands out because it can only be played on PC and Xbox Series X/S. This adds more weight to the game and what it means as the Xbox brand continues to revitalize for the future. If the single-player campaign and multiplayer deliver, then no doubt it will deserve to be a candidate on any Game of the Year list.

I feel like we’ve only scratched the surface of what this game has to offer, and as a longtime fan of the series, I can’t wait to see more. Gears of War: E-Day launches on October 6th for Xbox Series X/S and PC. Stay tuned for more of our coverage, and let us know which titles are on your Game of the Year lists so far.