Xbox has officially declared Gears of War: E-Day a console exclusive for Xbox Series X/S and PC, slated for an October 6 release. This announcement, made during the Xbox Games Showcase, follows considerable speculation and confusion regarding the game's platform availability.
Leading up to the showcase, many anticipated Gears of War: E-Day would launch on PlayStation 5 alongside its Xbox and PC counterparts, a belief bolstered by previous messaging and the release of Gears of War: Reloaded on PS5. However, Xbox leadership has clarified the game's exclusive status.
Reports from The Verge and Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources, suggested that a PS5 version was initially planned but that a late decision by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma shifted it to become an Xbox console exclusive. Countering these claims, Aaron Greenberg, Vice President of Xbox Games Marketing, stated on X that the notion of a last-minute change is untrue. He explained that knowledge of the exclusivity was intentionally limited to a small internal group, with the intention to reveal it first to players during the showcase.
Further fueling the debate, Tom Warren of The Verge pointed to an official Xbox podcast featuring Gears of War: E-Day key art with a PlayStation 5 logo visible, implying a potential multiplatform release. Eurogamer also noted this visual discrepancy. Additional evidence included a PEGI rating for Gears of War: E-Day on PS5 that appeared prior to the showcase, though PEGI has since updated it to reflect Xbox Series X/S and PC only. IGN also reported a Walmart listing for a PS5 version of the game. While PEGI and Walmart are external entities, their listings could indicate previous plans or speculation.
In direct conversation with Eurogamer, studio heads at developer The Coalition stated that a PlayStation 5 release was never publicly discussed or planned internally. "We never talked about it going to PS5," said studio creative director Matt Searcy. Studio brand director Nicole Fawcette added, "It was never changed." Searcy further commented, "I would say that Gears as an exclusive makes a ton of sense. It's kind of an honor, and exciting, to be one of the Xbox flagship titles."
Despite these conflicting accounts and some evidence suggesting a PS5 version may have been in development or considered, as alluded to by Giant Bomb's Jeff Grubb, official Xbox statements maintain that Gears of War: E-Day was always intended as an Xbox console exclusive. The game is set to launch on Xbox Series X/S and PC on October 6.