New to Gears? Learn cover mechanics, movement basics, weapon types, and essential survival tips before you hit the streets of Kalona.
Gears of War: E-Day is a third-person cover shooter developed by The Coalition, launching October 6, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Cloud Gaming. It is a prequel set 14 years before the original Gears of War, chronicling Emergence Day — the catastrophic moment the Locust Horde first erupts from underground, forever changing the world of Sera.
Built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5, E-Day delivers a grittier, more grounded Gears experience. The game reintroduces horror elements to the franchise, with reimagined Locust enemies that restore the sense of fear and dread from the earliest encounters. Whether you're a series veteran or a first-time Gear, this guide will get you combat-ready.
The battlefield in Gears of War: E-Day is defined by its cover layout. Understanding how to use — and when to leave — cover is the single most important skill you can develop.
E-Day features a completely rebuilt cover system with more cover types, heights, and available actions than any previous Gears title. Low walls, debris piles, destroyed vehicles, and structural ruins all provide different levels of protection. Each cover piece behaves uniquely — tall cover blocks shots entirely, while low cover allows you to fire back but leaves your head exposed.
New to the series are cover gaps — spaces under trucks, holes in walls, and openings in debris. You can slide through these gaps to reposition or lean out to shoot. Narrow gap shooting (e.g., firing through a broken car window) gives you a tight firing angle with excellent protection, but limits your field of view.
Hunker behind low walls and debris piles when no tall cover is available. Be warned: cover can be destroyed by sustained fire or explosive attacks. When your cover is destroyed, you automatically transition to a prone position, giving you a brief window to crawl to safety or return fire from the ground.
The most common mistake new players make is staying in one cover position too long. Locust enemies will flank, use suppressing fire, and flush you out with explosives. Always know your next cover position before you move. Scan the battlefield constantly and plan your route from cover to cover.
E-Day's movement system emphasizes commitment, momentum, and readability. Every action has weight — you can't instantly reverse direction or cancel out of every move. Master these core actions to stay alive.
| Action | Button | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint | LS Click | Starts with the signature Roadie Run animation. Improved battlefield awareness while sprinting — you can spot threats and plan your next cover move without breaking stride. |
| Slide | B (from sprint) | Slide under gaps, into cover, or past corners to evade enemy fire. You can shoot during the slide, making it an aggressive repositioning tool as well as a defensive maneuver. |
| Jump / Climb | Y | Greater verticality than previous titles. Mantle over obstacles and climb ledges without needing to enter cover first. Use high ground to gain firing advantages. |
| Take Cover | A | Slam into cover. Cover entry can only be cancelled within 1.5 meters — once committed, you follow through. This prevents the "hyper-bouncing" exploit from older titles and makes cover decisions meaningful. |
| Vault | Y (at cover) | Vault over cover objects to assault enemies on the other side or make a quick escape. Combines with a melee strike if enemies are directly opposite. |
E-Day's movement philosophy is built on four pillars. Understanding these will dramatically improve your survivability.
Cover entry only cancellable within 1.5m. No more hyper-bouncing — every movement decision carries weight and consequence.
Every action has consistent motion. You cannot instantly reverse direction. Build momentum through slides and sprints to chain movements together fluidly.
Sliding and sprinting are real tactical alternatives to cover bouncing. Choose your movement style based on the situation — aggressive or defensive.
Every action is readable and can be tracked by both you and your opponents. No janky animations — what you see is what's actually happening.
Sprinting into a slide that ends at a cover position is one of the safest ways to reposition under fire. You maintain a low profile throughout the movement, and you arrive already in cover. Practice this in the tutorial area until it becomes muscle memory.
Quick reference of starter weapons you'll encounter in your first hours. For complete stats, damage values, and advanced loadouts, visit the full Weapons Guide.
Assault Rifle
The origin-story weapon. The chainsaw bayonet is not yet standard issue — this is the earliest iteration of the iconic Lancer, still being field-tested during the Locust invasion.
Shotgun
The close-range king. Capable of gib kills at point-blank range. Essential for tight corridors and aggressive pushes. Master the hip-fire for maximum effectiveness.
Sniper Rifle
Headshot capable. One-shot kill on most standard enemies with a headshot. Slow rate of fire demands precision — every shot must count.
Sidearm
Your reliable fallback. Low damage but infinite ammo in most modes. Useful for finishing downed enemies and conserving primary weapon ammo.
Grenade Launcher
Dual fire modes: rapid-fire for direct engagements, and delayed explosion for area denial. A versatile new addition to the COG arsenal.
Shotgun
Fires incendiary rounds that deal damage over time. Excellent for area control and flushing enemies out of cover. Limited ammo capacity.
The Active Reload is a signature Gears mechanic. When you reload, a sliding bar appears on the reticle. Tap the reload button again when the marker is in the highlighted sweet spot to gain a damage boost and faster reload. Missing the sweet spot results in a weapon jam — a significantly slower reload that leaves you vulnerable.
Some weapons feature shell-by-shell reloading, allowing you to interrupt the reload animation to fire before the magazine is fully loaded. This is critical in close-quarters combat where every round counts.
Seven essential tips to keep you alive during your first hours on the streets of Kalona. Master these fundamentals and you'll outlast the Locust onslaught.
This is not a run-and-gun game. The moment you leave cover without a plan, you will be cut down by enemy fire. Use the cover system — it exists for a reason. Move from cover to cover deliberately, and never sprint into unknown territory. Treat every open space as a potential kill zone until proven otherwise.
The difference between a good player and a great one often comes down to Active Reload consistency. A successful active reload gives you a significant damage boost that can turn a losing fight into a win. Practice the timing in low-pressure situations until it becomes second nature — you will need it when Wretches are charging.
"Never Fight Alone" is not just a tagline — it is the core design philosophy of E-Day. Squadmates can revive you when you are DBNO, provide covering fire while you reposition, and help focus down priority targets. Lone wolves die fast. Stay within revive range of at least one squadmate at all times.
Drones are the standard riflemen — dangerous in groups, but manageable alone. Wretches are fast melee attackers that rush your position; switch to shotgun and backpedal. Boomers are heavy units with explosive weaponry; focus fire from multiple angles to bring them down quickly. Knowing what you're facing determines how you fight.
Emergence Holes spawn endless waves of Locust. The longer one is active, the more enemies flood the battlefield. Grenades are the most reliable way to seal them — toss one in as soon as you see the ground crack open. Do not wait for a "better moment" — there isn't one.
The slide is a practical combat tool, not a gimmick. Use it to cross open lanes, evade incoming grenades, and close distance to a new cover position. You can fire during the slide, making it viable for aggressive pushes. A well-timed slide can be the difference between reaching cover and getting downed in the open.
When available, chainsaw executions provide a health restore — a critical survival tool when you are low and there are no health pickups nearby. The execution animation leaves you briefly vulnerable, so make sure the area is clear before committing. The risk is worth the reward when your health bar is flashing red.
E-Day offers extensive control remapping. If the default layout doesn't feel right, experiment with alternative schemes. Many veteran players move the cover/slide button to a shoulder bumper for faster access during combat.
Gears of War has its own vocabulary. Learn these essential terms to communicate effectively with your squad and understand strategy discussions.
Soldier identification tags worn by every Gear. In Horde Siege, COG Tags are used for the revival mechanic — collect a downed teammate's tags to bring them back into the fight.
To kill an enemy by blowing them apart, preventing any possibility of revival. Gnasher shotguns and explosives are the primary gibbing tools. A gibbed enemy cannot be revived by their squad.
The signature low-profile sprint that defines Gears movement. The camera drops and tilts, giving you a visceral sense of speed while making you a smaller target. Activated by clicking the left stick.
A Locust spawn point that erupts from underground. These holes continuously produce enemies until destroyed. Toss a grenade in to seal it permanently. Mark them for your squad immediately.
A timed reload mechanic where tapping the reload button in the highlighted zone grants a damage boost and faster reload. Missing results in a jam. A core skill for all players.
"Down But Not Out" — the state when a player's health reaches zero but they can still be revived by a squadmate. You can crawl slowly while DBNO to reach cover or a teammate.
The iconic skull-gear logo of the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG). Symbol of human resistance against the Locust Horde. Appears throughout the game's UI and world.
Resonation Imaging Geographer — scanning equipment used in Horde Siege to locate enemy wave concentrations, resource caches, and objective markers. Essential for tactical planning.
A highly volatile, glowing liquid fuel source found beneath Sera's surface. Central to the world's economy — and deeply connected to the Locust Horde's emergence. Handle with extreme caution.
You've mastered the basics. Now dive into the complete ~14-hour campaign walkthrough — all missions, boss strategies, collectible locations, and story analysis.