Gears of War: E-Day is arriving this October, and The Coalition is taking the series back to its roots with a prequel that covers the original Locust emergence. Whether you're planning to grab the Premium Edition or jumping in through Xbox Game Pass, knowing exactly when the game goes live saves you the frustration of staring at a locked launch screen. Here's every start time you need, broken down by platform and region.
When does Gears of War: E-Day release?
Gears of War: E-Day officially launches on October 6. That's the date for standard edition buyers and Game Pass subscribers. If you want in earlier, the Premium Edition unlocks up to five days of early access, pushing your start date back to October 1.
The early access window is worth considering if you're the type who wants to get ahead of the crowd before the servers fill up and the community starts flooding social media with story spoilers.
What time does Gears of War: E-Day go live?
The answer depends on your platform. Xbox releases at midnight local time, following the standard Microsoft Store staggered rollout. That means the game drops region by region as midnight hits each time zone, rather than all at once.
PC is different. The Steam release is a simultaneous global unlock, set for 9:00 AM PT / 11:00 AM CT / 12:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM BST on October 6. If you're on PC and outside North America or the UK, your local equivalent of that global unlock time is what you're waiting for.
For shooter games fans who play across both platforms, the Xbox version will actually be playable hours before the PC version goes live in most regions.
E-Day available on Game Pass
Full regional launch times
Use the table below to find your exact start time. Xbox times reflect the midnight local rollout, while PC times are based on the simultaneous global unlock.
Is Gears of War: E-Day on Game Pass?
Yes. Xbox Game Pass subscribers get access to Gears of War: E-Day from the standard October 6 launch date. There's no premium tier requirement to play through Game Pass, though the five-day early access window tied to the Premium Edition is a separate purchase.
If you're on the fence about buying versus subscribing, the Game Pass route gets you in on day one at no extra cost beyond your existing subscription.
For players who want to hit the ground running on achievements, the complete Gears of War: E-Day achievements guide lists every unlock condition and Gamerscore value, with tips to reach 1,000G. Getting familiar with the list before launch means you can structure your playthrough to knock out missable achievements on the first run rather than grinding a second playthrough.
For everything else as the game rolls out, the full Gears of War: E-Day strategy guides collection will be updated through launch and beyond.