Xbox and PC players will soon return to the Locust War on Sera in The Coalition’s latest title,Gears of War: E-Day. Set 14 years beforeGears of War 1and 42 years beforeGears 5,Gears of War: E-Daywill have players play as the iconic duo of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago once more as they experience the beginning of the Locust War firsthand on Emergence Day. WithE-Day’s early prequel status, many fans are wondering which weapons will appear in the game, especially since Emergence Day takes place before the creation of the iconic Chainsaw Lancer. While little footage ofE-Dayhas been shown, fans can still predict which weapons will and won’t appear in the game.
Weapons Gamers Can Expect to See in Gears of War: E-Day
The only weapon clearly shown inE-Day’s marketing so far is the Mk 1 Lancer, otherwise known as the Retro Lancer, equipped with a large, removable knife-sized bayonet. The iconic Chainsaw Lancer, or the Mk 2 Lancer, wasn’t created until one year after Emergence Day during the second battle of the COG city Jannermont, whenTai Kaliso tore apart a Locust Drone using a power saw. The Locusts’ thick hides often made the Retro Lancer’s blade ineffective at penetrating their skin, so Marcus Fenix suggested his father, Adam Fenix, upgrade the Lancer based on Kaliso’s experience with the power saw. This resulted in the creation of the Chainsaw Lancer, which would become standard issue for COG troops.
Gears of War: E-DayCreative Director Matt Searcy has confirmed that the game will not solely take place on Emergence Day alone, so it could showcase Kaliso’s unintentional creation of the Chainsaw Lancer.GearsBrand Director Nicole Fawcette additionally hinted that the Chainsaw Lancer would appear inE-Dayat some point during the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, saying, “… it’s not aGearsgame if you’re not chainsawing Locust!” Based on these hints andE-Day’s place on the timeline,the Retro Lancer may be players’ primary weaponfor a majority of the game’s runtime until the triumphant debut of the Chainsaw Lancer. Players may additionally be able to remove and use the Retro Lancer’s bayonet as a separate weapon since Marcus was able to remove the blade inE-Day’s trailer.
Other COG, UIR, and Locust Weapons Expected to Appear in E-Day
Based on the brief Pendulum War and Emergence Day prologue sequences inGears of War 4which takes place 16 years and 14 years beforeGears of War 1, players can expect to still use standard COG Gnasher Shotguns, Snub Pistols, Bolo Grenades, and Hammer of Dawn targeting lasers. Similarly, players can expect to use standard Locust Hammerburst Assault Rifles, Mulcher gatling guns, and Boomshot Grenade Launchers as well as the Union of Independent Republics’ Markza Mk 1 Marksman Rifles. Given thatGears of War: Judgment’s People Can Fly developerwill work onE-Dayand that Judgment takes place several months after Emergence Day, players could possibly see the return of the Booshka Grenade Launcher, Breechshot, and Tripwire Crossbow.
The Chainsaw Lancer appears inGears of War: Judgmentdespite the game taking place months before the weapon’s canonical development after the second battle of Jannermont.
Gears of War: E-Day’s Return of Old and Introduction of New Weapons
Beyond the previously mentioned weapons, The Coalition may reintroduce some weapons that were featured prominently in the Locust War but were absent inGears of War 4andGears 5. For instance, if every single major Locust species and soldier returns inE-Day, the game may feature Kantus’ Gorgon Submachine Guns, Ink Grenades, Boltok Pistols, Longshot Sniper Rifles, Torque Bows, Butcher Cleavers, and Digger Launchers. Likewise,E-Daycould see the return of some forgotten COG weapons such as the Mortar, One-Shot Sniper Rifle, Sawed-Off Shotgun, and Vulcan Gatling Gun. If most of these weapons do return,E-Daymay have the most weapons featured in anyGearsgame, even withoutSwarm or DeeBee weapons.
Depending on wearGears of War: E-Daytakes place on Sera and when the game initially begins, it may feature some previously never-before-seen weapons, particularly those used by the UIR. Emergence Day occurs six weeks after the end of the Pendulum Wars, so the game could begin with Marcus and Dominic fighting in one of the last battles against the UIR. Here, they would encounter various types ofUIR weapons besides the Booshka and Markzawhich could then be used by Locust and UIR remnants alike post Emergence Day. The Locust could also feature some never-before-seen weapons as early failed prototypes used in the early years of the war.
