Gears of War: E-Dayis the long-awaited return of Xbox’s long-dormant third-person shooter series. Following the last major entry in the franchise in 2019,Gears of War: E-Dayis set to reunite players with Marcus Fenix in a brand-new prequel title. As a co-development between The Coalition and People Can Fly, this new game looks to be another killer entry from Xbox and a massive return for one of its most important IPs.
WhileGears of War: E-Dayis certainly an exciting new title, it’s going to find itself between a rock and a hard place in the future. While Xbox has largely been mum on this new game, it’s reasonable to assume that the game will receive support following its launch with downloadable content. This could drive a wedge in the fanbase, especially given the game’s unconventional approach.
Gears of War: E-Day’s DLC Could Be In For A Pickle
Gears of War: E-Day’s Prequel Status Effects Potential DLC
As the game currently has no gameplay footage available, it’s not clear ifGears of War: E-Daywill actually feature any post-launch content. Still, there is precedent for The Coalition to add some, as the last entry in the series received an expansion packin the form ofGears 5: Hivebusters. As a single-player expansion toGears 5, it’s not out of the question forGears of War: E-Dayto offer something similar following its release.
That said, there could be some fan weariness about a downloadable expansion toGears of War: E-Dayconsidering that it’s a prequel. The decision to makethe nextGears of Wargame a prequelwas already a surprise to longtime fans, given the expectations that the next game would follow up on the story told inGears of War 4andGears 5. Even though The Coalition has confirmed that it’s not going away from the modernGears of Warstories, it appears the developer has shifted in a major way with this new game.
Gears of War: E-Day Getting An Expansion Has Pros And Cons
On one hand, adding a downloadable expansion toGears of War: E-Daycould be hard to justify given its prequel status. Even though it takes place 14 years before the events ofthe originalGears of Wargame, thus leaving room for an expansion, there may not be much need for one. Furthermore, asking fans to play an expansion to a prequel when the expectation was a continuation of the current story could prove tricky.
On the other hand, The Coalition is clearly passionate aboutthe story thatGears of War: E-Daywill tell, so it wouldn’t make sense for them to skip out on what needs to be told. Furthermore, adding an expansion gives hardcore fans a chance to further explore Kalona, the new location this title will introduce. Therefore, while an expansion may be unconventional, it may be what the team needs if it wants to tell the full story.
That said, there could be some fan weariness about a downloadable expansion toGears of War: E-Dayconsidering that it’s a prequel.
Maybe Gears of War: E-Day Won’t Need DLC
Of course, there’s always the possibility The Coalition skips out on post-launch content altogether. Given how little has been shown of the game, it’s unclear how expansive it will be in its initial release and how story-packed the title will be. Therefore, it’s difficult to assume whetherThe Coalition and People Can Flywill actually need to release any extra content following the game’s eventual launch.
Still, the idea that a previous mainlineGears of Wartitle received a single-player expansion means that such a proposition is not off the table forGears of War: E-Day. Even with the game’s standing as a prequel, the depth of the game’s story and world may lead to the need for extra content. It’s still hard to tell given the overall lack of information, but regardless of what direction The Coalition goes in, here’s hopingGears of War: E-Daybecomes another must-have title in his iconic franchise.
Gears of War: E-Day
WHERE TO PLAY
The Story of E-DayFourteen years before Gears of War, war heroes Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago return home to face a new nightmare: the Locust Horde. These subterranean monsters, grotesque and relentless, erupt from below, laying siege on humanity itself. New FoundationsBuilt from the ground up with Unreal Engine 5, Gears of War: E-Day delivers unprecedented graphical fidelity.
