Gears of War Developers Discuss Absent Features: “We Began E-Day with a Blank Slate, Creating Our Gameplay Sandbox from the Ground Up”

Gears of War: E-Day is officially live as of today, October 1, for those who secured early access to the latest Xbox console exclusive. However, this cover-based shooter may not launch with all the features fans were hoping for. The developers have indicated that this is partly because E-Day was built from the ground up using new technology to recreate the Gears experience.

In a blog post released last night, the team explained, “We started E-Day with an empty hard drive, constructing our entire gameplay sandbox from scratch to ensure a more cohesive experience across Campaign, PVE, and PVP. This new sandbox also enabled us to innovate in areas like cover, combat, and enemy design. The trade-off is that we couldn’t include every legacy feature from Gears of War at launch.”

The post went on to clarify, “Features such as Meat Shields, Chainsaw Duels, select weapons from the franchise’s history, and online elements like Private Lobbies and leaderboards are not gone for good. Our team is dedicated to delivering a strong and stable launch experience while also considering how to bring back and enhance fan-favorite features either post-launch or in future titles.”

Some players expressed disappointment and confusion over the absence of private lobbies and ranked gameplay, which have been integral to the series’ multiplayer experience for long-time fans. E-Day marks the first new installment since Gears 5, which debuted seven years ago.

While the game showcases impressive visuals and significant improvements to traversal and other core gameplay elements, it remains unclear why certain key features were dropped or delayed during development. There were rumors that the developer, The Coalition, was working on two smaller projects prior to this new Gears entry, both of which were reportedly canceled.

“I want to show some love to The Coalition because I feel they’ve taken the feedback well, and I’m eager to see how E-Day evolves,” commented former pro Gears player Guy “Blaze” Spencer. The studio has already outlined several balance adjustments to mechanics and weapons based on beta feedback and has shared a schedule for upcoming content as E-Day embarks on its seasonal live-service journey.

Versus Ranked will be available starting October 13. Season 1 will feature limited-time themed events like Halloween, 20 Years of Gears, and Thanksgibbing, concluding on December 1. Following that, Season 2, titled Legacy and Beyond, will launch with content celebrating 20 years of the franchise’s “greatest hits.” The studio also revealed the names of the upcoming seasons on E-Day’s calendar: Season 3: Infiltration, Season 4: Pendulum, and Season 5: Devotion.