If I could list some of the gaming moments that became highlights of my early days as a gamer, one that stands out is the first time I heard a Lancer revving up as it approached the face of a Locust Grub. Nothing will ever top the time I used the Hammer of the Dawn for the first time, or the moment I watched the screen in silence as I wrapped up the ‘Mission to Mercy’ quest. Now, in 2026, I can’t believe that one of the series that became so iconic in the shooting genre is back, and while I only tested the multiplayer aspect of Gears of War: E-Day, I can already see that this prequel will be the franchise’s proper comeback we’ve been waiting for.
I was extremely fortunate to be part of the multiplayer preview of Gears of War: E-Day, which allowed me to play the new Horde Siege mode as well as some good old classic PvP. I’ll focus on the former first, of course.
Now, while some of us loved the PvP aspect of Gears of War and many stuck to the campaign only, the truth is that the Horde mode was just as iconic as a Lancer’s chainsaw. For Gears of War: E-Day, however, The Coalition is raising the stakes with its brand-new Siege mode.
In essence, Horde Siege retains many aspects of the original game mode. You spawn on a map that’s already full of Locust foes that you need to beat. However, the scope is much bigger now. You spawn alongside three other teams on the map, for a total of 12 players in the same area. Each squad has its own objectives, which range from defending an area to repairing machinery, and a few more.
What makes a round more interesting is the chaos happening in the background as three teams traverse a Locust-riddled map. When moving to your objective, you’ll notice several secondary missions appearing. Some of them include transporting an item, surviving against a horde for a set amount of time, and my personal favorite, taking out high-value targets.
But why do all of the secondary objectives then? Well, there’s an actual robust class and squad customization system behind it all. First, I’ll go over the squad part. Completing secondary objectives rewards you with Squad Perks, which give your team passive bonuses, such as healing up after a perfect reload or your class equipment doing more damage.
Beyond that, completing tasks and defeating enemies rewards you with Energy, which is a currency you can use only during the match that lets you buy new throwable weapons, build weapon emplacements, upgrade Squad Perks, and refill your ammo at Supply Caches.
And while all of these systems are great, one thing that will also change your Horde Siege match considerably is your character’s class. During the beta, we had access to Assault, Breacher, Sniper, and Medic. Each one plays a different role and has a different loadout and class equipment. For instance, Assault, which is the one I used the most, spawns with a Prototype Lancer and Gnasher, as well as a Sonic Disruptor, which staggers enemies in a large area.
In truth, I loved how classes worked. It is an expansive progression system that allows you to unlock mods to further customize your class, and even unlock new starting guns when reaching certain levels. Also, weapons are just as customizable. Completing objectives around the map will reward you with weapon parts, and finishing a mission with them will let you use them to unlock customization slots and actual parts, such as new barrels, scopes, and more.
And if all of these things sound a bit daunting for you, you still have the classic Horde mode, as well as Blitz missions, which run on the shorter side, as Horde Siege matches can run for around 30 minutes, which is a perfect length for me, as there’s just so much to do there.
Overall, and as first impressions go, the new Horde Siege mode looks fantastic, addictive, and as chaotic as ever—in a good way. Plus, the fact that you can run around the map while watching other COG Army members shoot Locust foes out of the sky or call out for help is as immersive and engaging as it gets, and I can’t wait to see just how big this mode gets once the game officially launches.
The Gnasher Fest is Back
As someone who played Gears of War at launch, one thing I found funny was how easy you could distinguish a Gears veteran from a newcomer with one single move: the Gnasher blind fire tactic.
These words may sound alien to some, but the reality of Gears of War PvP is that most matches are all about who can kill enemies first with a Gnasher without aiming—when I saw that during this PvP preview, I felt right at home.
In all seriousness, PvP in Gears of War: E-Day feels as smooth as you can imagine. Movement has vastly improved, with cover mechanics being the best in the franchise and having no delay when it comes to registering hits or avoiding enemy fire.
For these sessions, we only had two maps with two modes: team deathmatch and conquest. I tried all of them and really liked how intricate the maps were to complete objectives and pull off some cinematic kills.
For example, my favorite was the supermarket, which many saw a few glimpses of in the game’s most recent trailer. It is an urban maze where you fight inside supermarket aisles and even outside next to some small food stands and broken-down structures.
And of course, you also have your weapon spawns, which I was surprised to see that almost no one ever ran toward. Back in my day, and yes, I have a long COG Army tenure that allows me to say that, everyone rushed to get the longshot. But hey, that was better for me, as I was pulling some cool-looking headshots.
Despite only having two maps and game modes, I had a blast during my PvP sessions, and it really showed me just how rusty my skills with the Gnasher and other weapons had become. While the muscle memory eventually kicked in, allowing me to get that coveted MVP at the end of a few matches, it was just great to get back into the fight and experience one of the best PvP modes I’ve played in a shooter, and one that the genre desperately needs right now.
A Monumental Comeback
While this was only a preview of the multiplayer portion of Gears of War: E-Day, I can already say that the return of the franchise, after a long wait, will be huge. The Coalition has taken everything that worked in previous titles and improved upon it, delivering a superb co-op PvE mode that has a lot of potential to stick around, while also bringing back an excellent PvP mode that goes back to how old-school shooters felt.
Still, there’s a long road before we take the COG Army mantle one more time as Marcus, Dom, and company, but as first impressions go, and as someone whose early gaming days were shaped in the fires of the Locust War, E-Day is both a love letter to the systems many of us grew up with, but also an excellent starting point for those taking up a Lancer for the first time.
Preview copy provided by the publisher.
