Gears of War: E-Day Trailer Showcases In-Engine Visuals Ahead of October Release

Microsoft has released a new in-engine trailer for Gears of War: E-Day. The promotional video features a cover of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings. While it is not a gameplay or in-game trailer, it gives players an idea of what the final product may look like. Microsoft plans to release the title on October 6.

Gears of War: E-Day takes place fourteen years before the original Gears of War. War heroes Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago return home to face the Locust Horde, a subterranean enemy laying siege to humanity. The title will use Unreal Engine 5.8 and include a story campaign, a Horde Siege PvE mode, and refined PvP multiplayer. It will also feature modernized movement mechanics such as jumping, vaulting, sliding, and flanking, while retaining the signature cover-based combat feel.

Technically, the project will be one of the first to utilize Unreal Engine 5’s MegaLights feature. This technology allows hundreds of lights to cast shadows within the environment. Microsoft previously held an open beta testing phase for the game in August, yielding early performance metrics. During the beta, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ran the game at over 60 frames per second at 4K resolution using DLSS Quality mode. An RTX 5080 achieved 40 to 50 frames per second at 4K Ultra settings, and an RTX 5070 Ti reached 40 frames per second at 4K Ludwig settings utilizing DLSS Ultra Performance mode.