Gears of War: E-Day Launch: Price, PC Specs and Reviews
Gears of War: E-Day launches October 6 on PC, Xbox and Game Pass. See editions, system requirements, early access and how the first reviews look.
Gears of War: E-Day is the first major Xbox blockbuster of the autumn, and it is landing on PC and Steam on day one. The official launch is October 6, 2026, but early access has already started, so the first impressions are in. The picture they paint is a game with excellent combat and a campaign that overstays its welcome.
Launch date, editions and access
According to Xbox Wire, the Premium Edition costs 99.99 dollars and unlocks up to five days of early access starting October 1 at 8am PT. The Standard Edition costs 69.99 dollars and launches on October 6 at 8am PT. Pre-install began on September 29. The game is available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC and Steam, and it is included on day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
- Standard Edition: 69.99 dollars, launch October 6
- Premium Edition: 99.99 dollars, early access from October 1
- Pre-install: from September 29
- Built in Unreal Engine 5
Modes on offer
The package includes a campaign playable solo, in two-player split-screen on console, or in four-player online co-op. Alongside it sits Horde Siege, a four-player PvE mode with class selection, and Versus, a four-versus-four PvP mode with ranked and social options. GamesRadar notes that there is no battle royale, no extraction mode and no Call of Duty-style loadouts, so the multiplayer is deliberately old school.
PC system requirements
The Coalition has posted expanded requirements, and PC Gamer highlights the key condition: a graphics card with hardware ray tracing is mandatory, because the game uses ray-traced reflections, shadows and global illumination. It also needs 115 GB on an SSD. DLSS 4.5, AMD FSR 4 and Intel XeSS 3.0 are supported at launch.
- Minimum (Medium, 1080p, 60 fps with upscaling): RTX 2060, RX 6600 or RTX 5050, Ryzen 5 2600X or Core i5-10400, 12 GB RAM, 6 GB VRAM
- Recommended (High, 1440p, 60+ fps): RTX 3060 Ti, RX 6700 XT or RTX 5060, Ryzen 5 5600 or Core i5-11600K, 16 GB RAM, 8 GB VRAM
- Ultra (4K, 60+ fps): RTX 5070 Ti or RX 7900 XT, Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Core i7-14700K, 16 GB RAM, 12 GB VRAM
What the first reviews say, and studio news
GamesRadar reports a Metacritic score of 88 from 50 critic reviews at the time of writing, which makes it the best-reviewed Gears game since Epic stopped developing the series. For comparison, Gears 4 and Gears 5 each sit at 84. The score can still change, because several outlets have published unscored reviews.
PC Gamer's review in progress is more mixed. It praises the moment-to-moment shooting, especially on Hardcore difficulty where staying in one piece of cover is punished, and credits the new jump ability and revised button layout for fixing the series' old cover frustrations. It calls the campaign a slog, though. GamesRadar's features editor is warmer, calling it the best cover shooter he has played since the Xbox 360 era and singling out the wrecked city of Kalona as the star. Both outlets are still testing multiplayer, so neither has a final score yet.
The launch comes with a shadow. GamesRadar reports that the game's story director was laid off after the game went gold, and that developers reportedly fear further layoffs and withheld bonuses tied to Microsoft cuts. Those points come from reports, not from an official Microsoft statement in the sources we checked.
Should PC players buy now or wait?
If you have a ray tracing capable card and Game Pass, the choice is easy, because the game is included. If you are paying 70 dollars, the sensible move is to wait for the full multiplayer verdicts, which should arrive within days of October 6. Remember that 115 GB on an SSD is a firm requirement, so clear space before pre-install finishes.
FAQ
When does Gears of War: E-Day release?
October 6, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, PC and Steam. Premium Edition owners can play from October 1.
Is Gears of War: E-Day on Game Pass?
Yes. It is available day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Can my PC run Gears of War: E-Day?
You need a graphics card with hardware ray tracing, such as an RTX 2060 or RX 6600 at minimum, 12 GB RAM and 115 GB of SSD space.
Sources
- Gears of War: E-Day Has Gone Gold, Pre-Install Begins September 29 - Xbox Wire (opens in a new tab)
- Gears of War: E-Day system requirements - PC Gamer (opens in a new tab)
- Gears of War: E-Day review in progress - PC Gamer (opens in a new tab)
- Gears of War: E-Day Metacritic score - GamesRadar (opens in a new tab)
