Gears of War 6’s development hasn’t been much of a secret, but it’s now finally official – with tonight’s Xbox Games Showcase revealing it to be a prequel titled Gears of War: E-Day.
Set 14 years before the events of the original Gears of War, E-Day tells the story of the first Locust emergence on Sera, and the world’s response to that threat.
It promises a return of the series’ trademark third-person, cover-based shooting action, all within an “explosive” campaign combining “satisfying gameplay and emotive, character-led storytelling”.
It’s also described as a “story of many origins”, and players can expect to see some classic Gears staples – including the Chainsaw Lancer – in early forms previously unseen. That includes some familiar faces, with the trailer feature very youthful appearances from Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago.
“We’re telling the origin story of Marcus and Dom and their bond,” developer The Coalition explains on Xbox Wire. “This is the bond that defines the franchise. They’re not the characters we know from Gears 1 to 3. They don’t have 10 years of fighting the Locust between them. When the game opens, there’s supposed to be peace on Sera,’and they’re trying to figure out life without this person [Dom’s older brother, Carlos] they both loved.”
Microsoft didn’t provide any hint of a release window during Gears of War: E-Day’s reveal, but with a movie and animated series also in the works, there’s a lot for Gears of War fans to look forward to.
