Gears of War: E-Day devs are embracing ‘old-school’ multiplayer in 2026: ‘No battle pass, no tour of duty, no gimmicks, no bullsh*t’

The Coalition is finally talking about the multiplayer half of Gears of War: E-Day, and its pitch is a bit different from other big-budget multiplayer shooters of the moment.

As I talked about in my hands-on preview that went up today, E-Day multiplayer is split between Horde Siege (PvE) and Versus (PvP). Both formats were fun, and I was pleasantly surprised by how 2007 everything feels—classic arena modes, mirrored loadouts, and light customization.

I speculated that The Coalition might be making an ‘anti-live-service’ game, and now that I’m reading the studio’s own words about multiplayer, the stated vibe of E-Day is literally “return to old school.” The Coalition is not holding back regarding its progression and cosmetics plans, especially.

“Remember the good ol’ days when you bought a game and you could unlock all the customization items just by playing because you already bought the game? Us too! So, when it comes to growing your own collection of customization items in E-Day, we’ve taken a more old-school inspired approach,” a multiplayer deep dive blog reads.

“Nearly every single item in Gears of War: E-Day can be earned by simply playing the game. That means no battle pass, no tour of duty, no gimmicks, no bullshit.”

E-Day will launch with 60 unlockable characters across the two main factions, nearly all of which are either unlocked through challenges or in-game currency. Free maps, modes, and cosmetics will arrive throughout five planned seasons (which sounds like a year of support). There will be the occasional “partnered item” sold for cold hard cash, but The Coalition says these will be “thoughtfully” considered within the world of Gears.

“Cosmetic items in E-Day are designed to feel gritty, grounded or inspired by the spirit and vibe of our brand. We love this universe and wanted to expand on it in exciting ways, so we skipped promotional cross-overs and IP partnerships for skins to focus on our own characters, world elements, and design,” the blog reads.

“In the rare cases where we have partnered with another brand or artist, we’ve tried to be thoughtful and consider what would be the coolest way to experience that brand in-game. While our multiplayer cosmetics are not always considered canon, a lot of our character skins are inspired by the lore, themes, and events of the Gears universe. Our Legendary tier of skins can be a bit more over-the-top and imaginative, occasionally pushing into designs that build on the imagery and symbolism surrounding the Gears franchise.”

The studio also feels strongly about not making E-Day too grindy. Some items can be unlocked with Coins, a free-to-earn currency gained by playing, leveling up, and earning medals. There is a weekly cap on Coins earned through grinding matches, but The Coalition is open to adjusting it through feedback.

“Earning Coins shouldn’t be an arduous grind. Chasing your favorite skin and unlocking new items should be fun. As such, we’ve carefully tuned the rate you earn Coins with this principle in mind and we’ll pay close attention to player feedback to adjust as necessary in post-launch.”

This all sounds very classic and reasonable, until you get to the bit about E-Day’s paid stuff—because yes, there will be plenty of paid stuff, too. Iron is the premium currency that can shortcut your way to cosmetics you don’t feel like grinding Coins for. I guess “return to old school” is more of a suggestion than a rule.