This morning saw the annual Xbox Games Showcase return, full of new game announcements, fresh trailers and updates for existing or already-announced titles and an exciting surprise or two.
One huge point of excitement was the “one more thing” moment of the showcase, which saw the reveal of a brand-new Gears of War game, titled Gears of War: E-Day. No release window has been announced just yet, though.
As the name might imply, the game will be a prequel story starring younger versions of the iconic Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, and depicting the very beginning of the Locust invasion on “Emergence Day.”
Developer The Coalition says it’s “working to recreate and improve the series’ trademark third-person action, charging between cover in life-or death situations, all set within an explosive campaign that combines satisfying gameplay and emotive, character-led storytelling,” and that it’s aiming to present a classic Gears of War game via truly next-gen tech.
“It’s going to feel like a new Gears game, because that’s what it is,” says Creative Director Matt Searcy. “It’s us revisiting the tone and the feeling of what makes Gears great, but we’re tapping into new techniques, new processes, and new technology that’s going to make the gameplay feel better than ever. It’s going to be awesome, a game that feels both truly new, and authentically Gears.”
Naturally, the game is going to be a visual showpiece for Xbox, with the small in-engine glimpses in the debut trailer already being very impressive.
“With the advancements in Unreal Engine 5, the leap in technical capabilities is tremendous,” explains Kate Rayner, Studio Technical Director at The Coalition. This includes over 100 times more environment and character details than Gears 5, hardware raytraced lighting, reflections and shadows, next generation destruction and gore, and cutting-edge animation technology, to name just a few of the countless improvements that will make Gears of War: E-Day an unrivalled visual experience.
You can see the debut trailer for Gears of War: E-Day below: