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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →In an interview with DayOne at Gamescom, The Coalition described Gears of War: E-Day as a three-part package—campaign, PvP and Horde Siege—and explained how it is reworking enemy encounters and rebuilding core systems while trying to preserve the series’ distinctive combat. Studio Creative Director Matt Searcy, Art Director Aryan Hanbeck and Studio Brand Director Nicole Fawcette also discussed what the new Siege mode changes, why PvP is getting a jump button, and two E-Day-themed controller designs. The interview was edited for clarity.
How does Locust AI shape E-Day’s encounters?
Studio Creative Director Matt Searcy says encounters are built from the combination of level layout, cover, weapons, enemy types and AI—not from enemy behavior in isolation. The drones share an AI foundation, but each unit receives tactics intended to make the group behave differently.
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Gears of War: E-Day | Standard Edition | XBOX Series X | $69.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Gears of War 2 - Xbox 360 (Renewed) | $18.74 | Buy on Amazon |
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Gears of War 3 (Renewed) | Buy on Amazon | |
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Gears of War: Ultimate Edition - Xbox One (Renewed) | $24.92 | Buy on Amazon |
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Gears of War 4 - Xbox One (Renewed) | $21.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Searcy describes enemy roles as “flushers, pinners, or mirrors.” A flusher disrupts a player’s position; a pinner keeps pressure on it; a mirror creates a different kind of tactical response. For example, a Grenadier can use smoke to obscure a cover position, then push through or around it. A Boomer’s area explosion can flush players out, while a Grinder’s sustained fire pins them down.
The intent is to make players react and rethink their approach, including after a failed attempt. The interview’s examples point to encounter design based on combinations of pressure and positioning rather than simply increasing enemy toughness.
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- AN ORIGIN STORY BEGINS — Fight alongside Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago in the gripping origin story of Emergence Day, as the Locust Horde erupts from below.
- A DARKER, GRITTIER THREAT — Face reimagined enemies and a terrifying underground invasion that restores the fear, dread, and intensity at the heart of the Gears of War series.
- MULTIPLAYER EVOLVED — Battle in Horde Siege for large‑scale PvE action or prove your skill in refined Versus PvP with greater precision and competitive depth.
- CLASSIC COMBAT, MODERNIZED — Experience signature cover‑based gameplay enhanced with updated movement, traversal, and controls that feel like Gears while playing like something new.
- CO‑OP YOUR WAY — Play online with up to four players across Campaign, Horde Siege, and Versus, or team up locally with 2‑player split‑screen co‑op on console.
What modes are planned, and how does Horde Siege differ from classic Horde?
The interview describes three modes: a co-op campaign, competitive PvP and Horde Siege. Searcy called Siege the game’s “big swing”—the mode that departs most from the familiar format. It combines elements associated with earlier Horde modes with new mechanics, more verticality and broader spaces.
Siege and Campaign also share systems, including weapon mods, tactical gear and supply caches, though their depth and how players earn them differ. Searcy said work on larger Siege maps helped inform Campaign spaces. The team prototyped those larger maps in the Gears 5 code base while it was standing up the game in Unreal Engine 5.
Rank #2
- Disc only. Original case and manual not included. Will come packaged in a generic case.
- This renewed game has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.
Classic one-to-50 Horde was not planned for launch, Searcy said, and at the time of the interview the studio had no plan to add it. He said player response to Siege could help inform whether the mode is expanded in future games. Siege is intended to support a range of session lengths; Searcy contrasted that with the shorter Horde Frenzy format in Gears 5 and said higher-difficulty Siege sessions could sometimes run one to two hours. Those are interview estimates, not measured playtime guarantees.
How long is the co-op campaign?
Searcy described the campaign as a 14-to-20-hour co-op experience. That figure is his estimate in the interview, not an independently verified completion-time measurement, and actual time will depend on how players approach it.
Rank #3
- Disc only. Original case and manual not included. Will come packaged in a generic case.
- This renewed game has been cleaned, tested, and shows minimal wear.
What is changing in Gears PvP?
Searcy said PvP adds movement options, including a jump button—an important shift for players accustomed to earlier games. Movement changes alter what skilled players can do, while close-range Gnasher combat remains central to how the mode feels. The studio wants the result to feel new without losing the weight and cover-based identity of Gears.
That balance also shapes the learning curve. Searcy acknowledged that Gears PvP can be harder to learn than some other shooters, and said social and bot playlists are meant to give players a place to improve before carrying those skills into competitive play. The studio does not want to flatten the skill ceiling: as Searcy put it, “we didn’t want to destroy the skill ceiling because that skill ceiling is part of what makes Gears feel so special.”
Rank #4
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- Includes full game of the original Gears of War remastered in 1080p.
- Play five campaign chapters never released on console.
- Experience competitive multiplayer in 60FPS with 19 maps and six game modes.
Why did The Coalition rebuild the game?
Art Director Aryan Hanbeck said the team had to recreate assets, animation and mechanics. Starting again was difficult, but it also gave the developers a chance to question which legacy decisions still served the game and which had remained simply because they were already in place. Hanbeck called it “a great moment to explore that because you’re kind of starting out from scratch.”
The interview presents that rebuild as both a substantial development challenge and an opportunity to reassess inherited design choices. It does not give budget, team-size, schedule or crisis figures, so it cannot support a more specific account of development pressure.
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- 25 Years after Gears of War 3, spurred by a series of strange disappearances, JD Fenix must embrace his father’s legacy and battle a terrifying new enemy
- Never Fight Alone: Enjoy two-player co-op with friends locally via split-screen, over Xbox Live or LAN. Player 2 can select either Kait or Del
- Redefined Cover Gameplay: New close-cover combat moves and combat-knife executions turn each piece of cover into an offensive opportunity
- Brutal New Weapons: An incredible arsenal of new weapons includes the Buzzkill and Dropshot, which can shoot around and over cover, raining destruction from all angles
What did The Coalition say about Xbox and the controllers?
Studio Brand Director Nicole Fawcette spoke about the team’s focus on E-Day and the excitement around the franchise. Her comments describe that focus and reaction; they are not, by themselves, confirmation of platform availability.
Fawcette discussed two controller designs: a red E-Day controller with laser etching, a back-painted top case, a red-lit Xbox Nexus button and blank ABXY buttons; and a separate Design Lab controller created with UK illustrator Luke Preece. The interview does not state either controller’s price, SKU or current availability, so it is not enough to determine whether or where they can be bought.
What the interview establishes—and what it doesn’t
The conversation offers a clear account of the studio’s design aims: Locust behavior built around tactical roles, Siege as the largest change among the three described modes, PvP movement changes balanced against Gears’ combat identity, and a rebuild that let the team revisit established systems. It is an interview rather than a technical specification or launch listing, so its estimates and plans should be read in that context.
Quick Recap
Read the full DayOne interview with The Coalition.
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