The Gears of War: E-Day developers at The Coalition say they are “proud to be one of Xbox’s main titles” as Microsoft refocuses on exclusivity.
Studio art director Aryan Hanbeck and creative director Matt Searcy opened up about The Coalition’s place in the Xbox portfolio during an interview with gaming news content creator Destin Lergarie (via MP1st). Searcy said he and the rest of the team were “proud” when asked how they feel about Gears of War: E-Day’s status as an Xbox exclusive.
“Well, we feel great because Gears has such a long, storied… It’s part of Xbox’s DNA. It’s woven into it,” he said. “At The Coalition, we feel pretty honored to have Gears and be the ones bringing that legacy forward. We know how much it means to people. We know how much it means to us.”
Gears of War: E-Day is firmly a console exclusive, but there was a lot of confusion surrounding which platforms Gears of War: E-Day would be available on as recently as four months ago. The once-Xbox-exclusive franchise made its debut on PlayStation consoles when original remaster, Gears of War: Reloaded, released in August 2025. Many took its presence on PS5 as a sign not only that the series would continue to come to Sony’s console but also that the days of exclusive titles may nearly be behind us – and for a while, that seemed to be the case.
Leaked listings and rumors were officially shut down at the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 when Xbox CEO Asha Sharma proudly declared that Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago’s Emergence Day prequel story would only be coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC. It was a shock decision that arrived as the Microsoft gaming entity kicked off a broader push for more exclusive games. Perhaps even more shocking at the time were the announcements that immediately followed, including the company’s promise to never release Xbox exclusive titles on rival platforms.
After leaked splash art fanned rumors that Xbox hastily decided to cancel a Gears of War: E-Day PS5 port, the company said it did not make any “last-minute” decisions when it comes to its platform choice. While Searcy said it brought The Coalition joy to see their new game leading Microsoft’s renewed interest in exclusive titles, making sure they made a great game was what came first.
“I think this is true of most game devs: You’re just passionate about your craft,” he said. “We’re all gamers first and foremost. We love making games. We love making Gears. So, from our perspective, we just wanted to make the best goddamn Gears game we could. We wanted it to be a technical and art showpiece, and I think getting to see Asha on-stage say, ‘To return to Xbox, we’re returning to Gears,’ yeah, that’s a really cool moment.
He continued: “We know how much Xbox means to a lot of people. We’re proud to be one of Xbox’s main titles – I think it’s been that way for a long time – and it’s pretty cool to show up now and fill that role again.”
Gears of War: E-Day launched in early access for Premium Edition players on PC and Xbox Series X/S October 1, 2026. Its full launch will follow this week, October 6. IGN’s early review, which covered only the campaign mode, returned a 9/10. The game’s story director was laid off just one week before it made its way to players’ hands a few days ago. Now, more developers at The Coalition is bracing for additional layoffs.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
