Gears of War: E-Day, the latest installment in the Xbox exclusive franchise, has reportedly sold an estimated 230,000 copies across PC and Xbox platforms in its first week. This figure includes approximately 168,000 copies sold on Steam and 62,000 on Xbox-supported devices, according to early data shared by Rhys Elliott, head of marketing analysis at Alinea Analytics.
These numbers represent a soft launch for a title positioned as a flagship for Xbox's renewed focus on exclusive games. While Microsoft has not officially confirmed these sales figures, the data offers insight into the game's reception in terms of direct purchases. The prequel's availability on Game Pass appears to be a significant factor, with an estimated 1.7 million players accessing the game through the subscription service.
Elliott suggests that Game Pass is "cannibalizing much of the premium revenue," indicating that players are opting for subscription access over outright ownership. Of the nearly 2 million players who launched Gears of War: E-Day via Game Pass, 722,000 reportedly paid an additional $30 for the Premium Edition, which included early access. The revenue generated through the Xbox ecosystem is estimated at $27 million, with total earnings reaching approximately $37 million.
"While E-Day is a sublime game (it's made my top 10), these are soft numbers for a flagship when Xbox badly needs revenue wins," Elliott stated. He noted that for every copy sold on Xbox, nearly 12 Game Pass upgrades were sold, suggesting the $70 premium SKU is underperforming. The analysis posits that without day-one Game Pass availability, many of these players might have purchased the game at its full price.
Internal Microsoft documents from 2023, related to the Activision Blizzard merger, previously acknowledged a decline in base game sales in the first year after a title is added to Game Pass. At the time, Xbox stated that the model "offers gamers and game creators more choice and opportunity in how they discover, experience, and deliver games."
Despite the reported soft unit sales, Gears of War: E-Day has garnered strong reviews from critics and fans alike. IGN's campaign review awarded the game a 9/10. Mike Crump, studio head at The Coalition, has previously stated that Gears of War: E-Day is a "natural choice to be" an Xbox exclusive and has addressed concerns regarding potential layoffs at the studio, while indicating that future installments may not take as long to develop.