On this page
Short answer
Reviews are strong: an 88 average on OpenCritic
On October 4, 2026, OpenCritic showed a Top Critic Average of 88 and 92% of critics recommending Gears of War: E-Day, from 61 critic reviews. Most praise goes to the combat, the new movement and the city of Kalona.
There is a caveat. Reviewers were given the campaign only before release, so nearly every score so far covers the story mode. Several outlets have published reviews in progress and will add multiplayer verdicts after launch.
- OpenCritic average
- 88
- Critics recommend
- 92%
- Reviews counted
- 61
Scores from individual outlets
| Outlet | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pure Xbox | 10/10 | Campaign review, Xbox Series X |
| TechRaptor | 9.5/10 | Listed on OpenCritic |
| GameRant | 9/10 | Listed on OpenCritic |
| TrueAchievements | 9/10 | Listed on OpenCritic |
| Xbox Achievements | 90% | Listed on OpenCritic |
| Tom’s Guide | 4.5/5 | Listed on OpenCritic |
| VGC | 4/5 | Campaign review |
| Wccftech | 7.4/10 | Listed on OpenCritic |
| GameSpot | 7/10 | Listed on OpenCritic |
| IGN | Not final | Campaign review; final score after multiplayer |
| GamesRadar+ | In progress | No score yet |
| PC Gamer | In progress | No score yet |
Aggregate numbers move as more reviews are added, so check OpenCritic for the current figure. We do not list a Metacritic score because we did not check that page directly.
What critics praised
- Combat. Even the most critical review we read calls it the best in the series’ twenty years.
- Movement. The slide, jump and dedicated cover button make firefights more fluid.
- Kalona. Pure Xbox calls the city a technical marvel, and GamesRadar+ rates the setting among the best made for a shooter.
- Weapons and mods. IGN’s reviewer kept adjusting loadouts and hunted for every Hard Case.
- The Marcus and Dom story. IGN says it lands emotionally even though you know both survive.
- Presentation. Pure Xbox praises both the visuals and the soundtrack.
What critics faulted
- Repetition. VGC and The Guardian both note locations and set pieces being reused; The Guardian counts three crossings of the same bridge.
- Open areas. GameSpot’s summary calls them fairly dull, and Wccftech found the side content forgettable.
- Story. VGC found it clichéd apart from one or two scenes; GameSpot called it disappointing.
- Squad AI. IGN’s reviewer was sometimes left unrevived by AI teammates when playing solo.
- Difficulty balance. PC Gamer found Normal too easy and boss health bars on Hardcore too long.
- Image softness. Pure Xbox noticed a softer picture in the 60 FPS mode on Xbox Series X.
The range of opinion
The spread is wider than the average suggests. At the top, Pure Xbox gave a perfect score and named it the reviewer’s game of the year, and TechRaptor called it the best game in the series.
At the other end, The Guardian’s review argues that the combat is excellent but that the campaign runs out of ideas and keeps going, tied to one city in a way that forces backtracking. Wccftech describes it as a step back from Gears 5 in several ways while agreeing the shooting is better than ever.
Skill Up’s video review lands in between: a recommendation, based on a roughly fifteen-hour solo run on Normal.
What has not been reviewed yet
Horde Siege and Versus were not available to critics before release. IGN states that its score is not final and that it wants to test multiplayer on live servers first. PC Gamer is holding its score for the same reason, and GamesRadar+ has published a review in progress.
That matters if multiplayer is why you are buying. The only hands-on evidence so far is from previews and the August beta, and The Coalition has changed weapon tuning and difficulty since then.
Should you buy it?
We do not score games, but the reviews point to a clear pattern. If you want a polished, linear, co-op-friendly shooter campaign of fifteen to eighteen hours, critics largely agree this is a very good one. If you are sensitive to repeated environments, or you wanted the Gears 5 story continued, the more critical reviews describe your likely frustrations.
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass members can try it from October 6 without buying.
Quick questions
What is Gears of War: E-Day’s review score?
OpenCritic showed a Top Critic Average of 88 with 92% of critics recommending it on October 4, 2026.
Do the reviews cover multiplayer?
Mostly not. Critics had access to the campaign only before launch, so multiplayer verdicts are still to come.
What did IGN give Gears of War: E-Day?
IGN published a positive campaign review and says its score is not final until it has tested multiplayer on live servers.
Sources
Where these answers come from
- Press or guide · Review aggregatorOpenCritic: Gears of War: E-DayAggregate critic average and recommendation percentage, plus individual outlet scores, as displayed on October 4, 2026.Checked 2026-10-04
- Press or guide · ReviewIGN: Gears of War: E-Day ReviewCampaign review with a 15 to 18 hour first playthrough, the five-act structure, Hard Cases and squad AI observations.Published 2026-10-01 · Checked 2026-10-04
- Press or guide · ReviewPure Xbox: Gears Of War: E-Day (Campaign) ReviewCampaign review citing five acts, sixteen chapters, roughly 16 hours on Hardcore and split-screen running at 30 FPS.Published 2026-10-01 · Checked 2026-10-04
- Press or guide · ReviewVGC: Gears of War E-Day campaign reviewCampaign review describing a 10 to 15 hour length, collectibles with an audio cue and how Hard Case prompts work.Published 2026-10-01 · Checked 2026-10-04
- Press or guide · ReviewGamesRadar+: Gears of War: E-Day review in progressReview in progress reporting a 16 hour campaign completion with most optional missions done on PC.Published 2026-10-01 · Checked 2026-10-04
- Press or guide · ReviewPC Gamer: Gears of War: E-Day review in progressPC review in progress reporting a campaign of more than 20 hours and comparing Normal and Hardcore difficulty.Published 2026-10-01 · Checked 2026-10-04
- Press or guide · ReviewThe Guardian: Gears of War: E-Day reviewA critical review that praises the cover combat and faults the campaign for repetition and a safe design.Published 2026-10-01 · Checked 2026-10-04
- Press or guide · Video reviewSkill Up: I recommend Gears of War: E-Day (Review)Campaign-only video review: about 15 hours to finish, solo difficulty on Normal, optional side content and PC performance on an RTX 4090.Published 2026-10-03 · Checked 2026-10-04