Gears of War: E-Day Review in Progress: A Brutal, Thrilling Fall of Kalona
Gears of War: E-Day is a prequel campaign that sends Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago back into the first hours of the Locust invasion, and it's a strong one. The Coalition pairs relentless horror-tinged action with a city under siege, optional exploration, and a squad worth caring about. Multiplayer servers weren't live before the review embargo lifted, so this is a campaign verdict for now.
It has been since 2019 that a new mainline Gears game landed, and bringing back Marcus and Dom after the division around Gears of War 4 and Gears 5 might look like the studio playing it safe. Once you play through the campaign, it's clear The Coalition did not simply coast.
A city that falls in real time
E-Day covers one of the most pivotal events in the series. After the Pendulum Wars end, Marcus and Dom are in the city of Kalona when the ground shakes and splits open, releasing the Locust horde. Civilians run for their lives and get torn apart, which sets a horror tone immediately. That tone holds even though you play as what amounts to a walking tank of a soldier.
Each of humanity's desperate counterattacks gets crushed, and watching Kalona collapse makes the Locusts feel like a genuine threat. No matter how many waves I mowed down, there was no end in sight and no salvation for humanity. That sense of helplessness colors the whole campaign.
Set pieces and streets
The big action moments are frequent and impressive. One sequence on an airstrip is among my favorite shootouts of this decade. Between those, less-curated stretches have you crossing Kalona's streets, where you can head straight for the objective or wander. Most of the campaign takes place in downtown, and I kept stopping to help stranded platoons or hunt for collectibles.
Hard cases became my favorite side activity because they reward weapon mods. I tried to collect every mod for every weapon, and tinkering with the arsenal to suit my playstyle became my preferred pastime between fights.
Combat that keeps changing
The gunplay is as intense and satisfying as ever. Chainsawing enemies with the Lancer, sniping with the Hammerburst, or melting them with the acid-spitting Incinerator made even optional encounters worth seeking out. The enemy roster goes well beyond standard grubs: E-Day throws in so many special minibosses that can wreck a plan at a moment's notice that you learn to expect the unexpected.
New tools help level the field, including a healing injection, an enemy-tagging drone, and new traversal and cover mechanics. Your squad of four stays with you even in solo play, and a squadmate can revive you a limited number of times per conflict. The AI isn't flawless: allies sometimes stop following you, occasionally block your path, and deliver cringeworthy one-liners.
The squad
Marcus and Dom are dealing with the loss of Carlos, Dom's brother and Marcus' best friend. Mags is a strong-willed former soldier who is reluctantly pulled into the fight when the Locusts attack. The weak link is Lucas, a newly enlisted soldier who spouts random facts and sticks to the COG handbook. For much of the story he feels underdeveloped, but a late-game arc lifts him to stand alongside the other three. I wish it had come sooner.
Verdict so far
E-Day's campaign is one of my favorites of 2026. The characters, action, and story come together in a way I won't soon forget, largely because of how smartly The Coalition uses Kalona as a setting. I'll finalize my score once I can try the PvP and PvE modes. If those are as enjoyable as the campaign, Gears of War: E-Day could land near the top of my list of favorite games in the series.
