Gears of War: E-Day Dev Boss Promises Faster Sequel, Dodges Layoff Fears

Worried about whether The Coalition will survive long enough to finish the Gears of War saga? You're not alone — apparently, neither are the developers themselves.

According to a Eurogamer report, staff at the Gears of War: E-Day studio are seriously concerned that layoffs will hit once the game launches. One source described the mood as "let's not celebrate the game until we're three months post launch, just in case, which is very unusual." Another said they're simply expecting "the next wave [of layoffs], or being reorganized under Activision or something later this year."

That anxiety isn't coming out of nowhere. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's "reset" of Microsoft's gaming business has already cut nearly 2,000 people this financial year, with more expected. Several studios have left the business or are closing down, and Microsoft has shuffled its teams around — moving Halo and Sea of Thieves developer Rare under Call of Duty's Activision, and Grounded studio Obsidian under Fallout's Bethesda.

The Coalition has mostly dodged the cuts so far, but there's a painful exception: E-Day's story director was laid off just one week before the game's early access launch. That's a rough signal for a team that just shipped something big.

When the BBC put Eurogamer's report to The Coalition studio head Mike Crump, he didn't exactly shut it down. "What I say to myself, what I say to the team, is we need to focus on the things that we can control," Crump said. "For us that's about shipping a great game that people are going to love and I feel like, as a team, we've done that." That's a polished answer, but it's not a promise that jobs are safe.

There is at least one piece of good news for Gears fans. Crump called E-Day a "great foundation" for future games in the series and said "the next game will not take nearly as long" to make. Considering how long the wait between Gears entries has felt lately, that's a welcome hint that The Coalition has more planned.

What that next game actually is remains a mystery. Back in June 2024, Microsoft pledged to continue the story of Gears of War and wrap up the cliffhanger from Gears 5's ending, even though E-Day took things back to the past as a prequel. The big question now: will The Coalition even get the chance to make it?

So, are you optimistic about the future of Gears, or does the layoff talk have you nervous? Will you be picking up E-Day? Let us know in the comments.