Gears of War: E-Day is the long-awaited return of Xbox’s long-dormant third-person shooter series. Following the last major entry in the franchise in 2019, Gears of War: E-Day is set to reunite players with Marcus Fenix in a brand-new prequel title. As a co-development between The Coalition and People Can Fly, this new game looks to be another killer entry from Xbox and a massive return for one of its most important IPs.
While Gears of War: E-Day is certainly an exciting new title, it’s going to find itself between a rock and a hard place in the future. While Xbox has largely been mum on this new game, it’s reasonable to assume that the game will receive support following its launch with downloadable content. This could drive a wedge in the fanbase, especially given the game’s unconventional approach.
Gears of War: E-Day Should Prioritize One Type of Halo Crossover, if Any
The Gears franchise has dabbled with crossovers in the past, and if Gears of War: E-Day collaborates with Halo, it should prioritize one content type.
Gears of War: E-Day’s DLC Could Be In For A Pickle
Gears of War: E-Day’s Prequel Status Effects Potential DLC
As the game currently has no gameplay footage available, it’s not clear if Gears of War: E-Day will actually feature any post-launch content. Still, there is precedent for The Coalition to add some, as the last entry in the series received an expansion pack in the form of Gears 5: Hivebusters. As a single-player expansion to Gears 5, it’s not out of the question for Gears of War: E-Day to offer something similar following its release.
That said, there could be some fan weariness about a downloadable expansion to Gears of War: E-Day considering that it’s a prequel. The decision to make the next Gears of War game a prequel was already a surprise to longtime fans, given the expectations that the next game would follow up on the story told in Gears of War 4 and Gears 5. Even though The Coalition has confirmed that it’s not going away from the modern Gears of War stories, it appears the developer has shifted in a major way with this new game.
Gears of War: E-Day Getting An Expansion Has Pros And Cons
On one hand, adding a downloadable expansion to Gears of War: E-Day could be hard to justify given its prequel status. Even though it takes place 14 years before the events of the original Gears of War game, thus leaving room for an expansion, there may not be much need for one. Furthermore, asking fans to play an expansion to a prequel when the expectation was a continuation of the current story could prove tricky.
On the other hand, The Coalition is clearly passionate about the story that Gears of War: E-Day will tell, so it wouldn’t make sense for them to skip out on what needs to be told. Furthermore, adding an expansion gives hardcore fans a chance to further explore Kalona, the new location this title will introduce. Therefore, while an expansion may be unconventional, it may be what the team needs if it wants to tell the full story.
That said, there could be some fan weariness about a downloadable expansion to Gears of War: E-Day considering that it’s a prequel.
Maybe Gears of War: E-Day Won’t Need DLC
Of course, there’s always the possibility The Coalition skips out on post-launch content altogether. Given how little has been shown of the game, it’s unclear how expansive it will be in its initial release and how story-packed the title will be. Therefore, it’s difficult to assume whether The Coalition and People Can Fly will actually need to release any extra content following the game’s eventual launch.
Still, the idea that a previous mainline Gears of War title received a single-player expansion means that such a proposition is not off the table for Gears of War: E-Day. Even with the game’s standing as a prequel, the depth of the game’s story and world may lead to the need for extra content. It’s still hard to tell given the overall lack of information, but regardless of what direction The Coalition goes in, here’s hoping Gears of War: E-Day becomes another must-have title in his iconic franchise.
- Developer(s)
- The Coalition
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
- Gears of War
WHERE TO PLAY
The Story of E-Day
Fourteen years before Gears of War, war heroes Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago return home to face a new nightmare: the Locust Horde. These subterranean monsters, grotesque and relentless, erupt from below, laying siege on humanity itself. New Foundations
Built from the ground up with Unreal Engine 5, Gears of War: E-Day delivers unprecedented graphical fidelity.
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
