Gears E-Day Campaign Guide — Story, Walkthrough & Heroes

Story

Story Overview

Gears of War: E-Day takes place 14 years before the events of the original Gears of War (2006). This is the day humanity's world changed forever — Emergence Day.

Close-up of a COG Gear soldier in Gears of War E-Day

The Pendulum Wars have just ended. After decades of brutal global conflict, Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) soldiers are finally returning to civilian life, expecting peace. Marcus Fenix and his best friend Dominic Santiago are among them, both grieving the recent death of Dom's older brother Carlos in the war's final days.

Without warning, the Locust Horde — a monstrous subterranean army — erupts from beneath the surface in a coordinated global assault. Cities crumble within hours. Millions die in the first wave. The COG military, battered from the Pendulum Wars, is caught completely off guard.

Marcus and Dom, still processing their grief, are thrown back into combat. They form Bravo Squad with two new allies: Mags Carter, a resourceful former Gear now working at Kalona's Imulsion refinery, and Lucas Reyes, a young communications officer with zero frontline experience. Together, these four must navigate the chaos of a city under siege.

The entire campaign is set within the industrial city of Kalona — once a beacon of innovation and progress, now ground zero for the Locust invasion. From its refinery districts to its collapsing skyline, every street tells the story of a civilization caught unprepared for the horror beneath its feet.

Did You Know?

Kalona is a brand-new location created specifically for E-Day. It was chosen as the setting because The Coalition wanted to tell an intimate, ground-level story rather than jumping between global locations. The dev team describes Kalona as "a character in its own right" — its industrial architecture, Imulsion refineries, and dense urban layout directly influence combat encounters and level design.

Connections to the Original Trilogy

E-Day bridges the gap between the Pendulum Wars era and the original Gears trilogy. Players will witness the origin of the chainsaw Lancer, the first deployment of the Hammer of Dawn, and the earliest formation of the COG's resistance doctrine. Characters like Chairman Prescott and Colonel Hoffman appear in key story roles, connecting this prequel directly to the events players know from Gears 1–3.

Timeline

The Three Days of E-Day

The campaign unfolds across three distinct chapters, each representing a phase of the Emergence Day catastrophe. The tone shifts dramatically from horror to organized resistance to desperate survival.

View of historic Kalona district after Locust attack

Night 1

Confusion & Fear

The Invasion Begins

The Locust erupt without warning as night falls over Kalona. The opening hours play like a horror movie — civilians flee in panic, infrastructure collapses, and communication networks go dark. Marcus and Dom, caught in the chaos, fight through darkened streets and crumbling buildings, encountering Locust Drones for the first time. The atmosphere is thick with uncertainty: nobody knows what these creatures are, where they came from, or how to stop them. Early encounters are designed to feel overwhelming — you're not a hero yet, just a soldier trying to survive.

Day 2

Formation

Bravo Squad Assembles

As dawn breaks, the scope of the catastrophe becomes clear. Marcus and Dom connect with surviving COG forces and are assigned to Bravo Squad alongside Mags Carter and Lucas Reyes. The squad's first mission: secure the Imulsion refinery district, which has become a critical strategic point. The day focuses on squad bonding — each member must overcome their fears and learn to trust one another. The combat shifts from frantic survival to organized resistance as Bravo Squad begins pushing back against Locust positions and rescuing stranded civilians.

Day 3

Desperation

The Final Stand

The Locust offensive intensifies. Massive creatures — Corpsers, Reavers, and the terrifying Brumac — join the assault. Bravo Squad faces impossible odds as they defend Kalona's last evacuation point. Ammunition runs low, cover is systematically destroyed, and the squad is pushed to their absolute limits. The climactic sequences force players to use every skill they have learned — cover management, active reload precision, squad coordination, and environmental awareness. The final hours of the campaign are a desperate, hold-the-line battle that defines the human cost of Emergence Day.

Cast

Characters

Meet Bravo Squad and the key allies who fight alongside you through the fall of Kalona. Every character brings unique perspective and abilities to the campaign.

Marcus Fenix

Voiced by John DiMaggio

A COG veteran fresh from the Pendulum Wars, struggling to adjust to civilian life when the Locust attack. In E-Day, Marcus is younger, more vulnerable, and less experienced than the hardened soldier players know from the original trilogy. He is a natural leader, but the weight of command — and the loss of Carlos Santiago — weighs heavily on him. His journey across the three days transforms him from a reluctant soldier into the legendary Gear he will become.

Dominic Santiago

Voiced by Carlos Ferro

Marcus's best friend and emotional anchor. Dom is grieving the recent death of his older brother Carlos, killed in the Pendulum Wars' final days. The pain is raw, but Dom channels it into protecting his squad. He is the heart of Bravo Squad — the one who keeps morale up when everything feels hopeless, and the first to risk his life for a teammate. His bond with Marcus is the emotional core of the campaign.

Mags Carter NEW

New Character

A former Gear who left military service to work at Kalona's Imulsion Refinery. Mags is practical, resourceful, and knows the industrial district better than anyone. Her knowledge of the refinery's layout and machinery proves invaluable when Bravo Squad must navigate the facility under fire. She is tough, no-nonsense, and carries a quiet resentment about being pulled back into combat — but she will never abandon her squad.

Lucas Reyes NEW

New Character

A young communications officer with zero frontline combat experience. Lucas is the audience surrogate — he reacts to the Locust with the same horror and disbelief a new player would feel. His technical skills with COG communication gear and his ability to intercept Locust signals make him essential to the squad, even as he struggles to overcome his fear. His character arc across the campaign is one of the most compelling: watching a civilian become a soldier in real time.

Tai Kaliso

Returning Character

A veteran warrior from the South Islands, Tai is calm, philosophical, and utterly fearless in battle. His spiritual approach to combat — seeing each fight as a test of character rather than just survival — provides a grounding presence for the younger members of the squad. Tai's combat prowess is legendary, and his appearance in key missions provides some of the campaign's most memorable moments.

Gill Gettner

Returning Character

A Raven helicopter pilot who provides critical air support throughout the campaign. Gill is the squad's lifeline to the outside world — her Raven is used for reconnaissance, emergency extractions, and devastating strafing runs against Locust positions. She is sharp-tongued, fiercely competent, and develops a memorable rapport with the ground team over the course of the three days.

Threats

Enemy Types

The Locust Horde is diverse, intelligent, and merciless. Each enemy type demands a different tactical response. Learn them or die to them.

Giant Corpser emerging from underground in Gears of War E-Day

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Locust Drone

The standard rifleman of the Locust Horde, completely redesigned for E-Day. Drones are larger, more intimidating, and far more intelligent than in previous titles. They use cover, coordinate flanking maneuvers, and call out your position to allies. They are not cannon fodder — treat each Drone as a credible threat, especially in groups.

Standard Infantry

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Wretch / Feral Wretch

The first creature to emerge during the invasion, and the most psychologically terrifying. Wretches are fast, feral melee attackers that rush your position in packs. Their screeching call is designed to induce panic. Switch to shotgun and backpedal — they die quickly but can overwhelm you in seconds if you freeze up or miss your shots.

Melee Rusher

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Boomer

Heavy assault units carrying explosive weaponry — typically a Boomshot grenade launcher. Boomers are slow but heavily armored, and their shots can destroy cover in a single hit. Focus fire from multiple angles and aim for the head. Never stay in one cover position when a Boomer has line of sight on you — they will blow you out.

Heavy Artillery

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Corpser

A giant spider-like creature that digs Emergence Holes and attacks with its powerful legs and corrosive projectiles. Corpsers are terrifying boss-level enemies that can destroy the terrain itself. Target the exposed underbelly when it rears up, and use heavy weapons — anything less won't penetrate its armored carapace.

Boss / Elite

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Reaver

A flying Locust creature with a rider mounted on its back. Reavers provide aerial fire support for ground forces and can strafe your position with mounted weaponry. Use Longshot headshots on the rider, or heavy weapons to bring down the Reaver itself. They are fast and hard to hit — lead your shots.

Aerial Threat

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Brumac

The most massive and destructive Locust creature, equipped with chain weapons and near-impenetrable armor. The Brumac is a Horde Siege boss that also appears at key moments in the campaign. It can level buildings and crush vehicles. There is no single strategy — it requires coordinated fire from the entire squad, environmental hazards, and heavy ordnance to bring down.

Super Boss

Features

Campaign Features

E-Day delivers the largest and most feature-rich campaign in Gears of War history. Here is everything you need to know before you drop into Kalona.

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~14-Hour Campaign

The largest campaign in franchise history, nearly double the length of previous Gears titles. Packed with story missions, optional objectives, and exploration areas.

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4-Player Online Co-op

All four Bravo Squad members are playable from start to finish in online co-op. Each player experiences the story as their chosen character with unique dialogue and perspectives.

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2-Player Split-Screen

Available on Xbox Series X|S. Couch co-op returns — grab a second controller and fight through Emergence Day side by side on the same screen.

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Linear with Open Areas

Not a traditional open world, but the campaign features occasional open districts with optional side objectives, hidden collectibles, and multiple approach paths.

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Horror Elements

Darker tone and grittier atmosphere than recent Gears titles. Reimagined enemy designs restore the fear and dread of the original. Some encounters feel closer to survival horror than action.

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Destructible Environments

Cover can be chipped away by sustained fire. Buildings collapse during key set-piece moments. The battlefield evolves dynamically — no two firefights play out the same way.

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4K 60 FPS

Running on Unreal Engine 5 with hardware-accelerated ray tracing. The campaign targets a locked 4K resolution at 60 frames per second on Xbox Series X and high-end PCs.

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"Never Fight Alone"

Squad mechanics encourage and reward coordination. Shared suppression, tandem vaults, dual executions, and revive chains create a genuine sense of fighting as a unit.

Arsenal

Weapons of the Campaign

The weapons you carry tell a story. E-Day depicts the origin of several iconic Gears armaments, alongside brand-new additions to the COG arsenal. For complete stats, see the Weapons Guide.

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Prototype Chainsaw Lancer

Assault Rifle — The Icon's Origin

The birth of the most iconic weapon in gaming history. In E-Day, the chainsaw bayonet is a field-expedient modification, not standard military issue. The campaign depicts its earliest development during the Locust invasion — an improvised solution born from desperation when standard-issue Retro Lancers proved insufficient against the Horde's thick hides. By the end of the campaign, players will understand exactly how and why this weapon became the symbol of COG resistance.

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Retro Lancer

Assault Rifle — Standard Issue

The standard-issue COG rifle before the chainsaw bayonet was developed. Features a powerful kick and a devastating charged bayonet charge that can impale enemies. Less refined than the eventual chainsaw variant, but its raw stopping power and iconic charge attack make it a favorite among veteran players. Many COG soldiers still carry Retros at the start of the campaign.

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Gnasher Shotgun

Shotgun — Close-Quarters Staple

The undisputed king of close-quarters combat. The Gnasher has been a Gears staple since the beginning, and E-Day's iteration is the most satisfying yet. Capable of one-shot gib kills at point-blank range. In the tight corridors of Kalona's industrial district, the Gnasher is often the difference between life and death when Wretches come swarming.

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Longshot Sniper Rifle

Sniper — Precision Elimination

The premier long-range weapon. A single headshot eliminates most standard enemies, and even heavy units can be staggered with well-placed shots. Ammunition is scarce, so every round must count. Essential for neutralizing priority targets like Boomers and Reaver riders before they can close distance on your squad.

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Gutpuncher NEW

Grenade Launcher — Dual Fire Modes

A brand-new addition to the Gears arsenal. The Gutpuncher features two distinct fire modes: rapid-fire for direct engagements against clustered enemies, and delayed explosion for area denial and flushing enemies out of cover. Its versatility makes it one of the most tactically interesting weapons in the campaign. Ammo is limited, so choose your mode carefully.

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Incinerator NEW

Shotgun — Incendiary Rounds

A devastating new close-range weapon that fires incendiary shotgun shells. Targets hit by the Incinerator take damage over time from burning, making it excellent for area control and forcing Locust out of fortified positions. The fire spreads between closely-packed enemies, rewarding players who bait groups into chokepoints. Limited ammo and slower reload balance its impressive damage output.

Continue to Multiplayer Guides

You know the story. Now master the competitive side of E-Day. Dive into Versus loadouts, map strategies, and ranked mode breakdowns — or coordinate your squad for 12-player Horde Siege.

Versus Guide → Horde Siege Guide