Emergence Day

The day the ground opened up and humanity's nightmare began.

Emergence Day marks the sudden, devastating start of the Locust War, with the events of the original Gears of War taking place fourteen years later. Set against the backdrop of a fragile peace following the Pendulum Wars, this event saw the Locust Horde erupt from beneath the planet Sera to launch a surprise attack on humanity. The invasion centered in the capital city of Ephyra, where Lieutenant Marcus Fenix found his life upended. As civilian defenses collapsed, he fought to survive the initial onslaught alongside other COG forces. This day represents humanity's first encounter with the Locust, transforming a period of relative calm into a fight for survival defined by loss, brotherhood, and brutality.

Quick Facts

Perpetrators: The Locust Horde

Lore & Background

Set fourteen years prior to the original Gears of War, Emergence Day occurs shortly after the conclusion of the Pendulum Wars. Humanity on Sera had entered a fragile peace, with many Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) soldiers returning to civilian life in cities like Ephyra. This capital city, once known for its political and cultural significance, was transformed into a war zone when the Locust Horde unexpectedly erupted from underground. The attack plunged humanity into immediate survival mode as the Locust forces poured out of Emergence Holes across the city.

Unlike later conflicts involving the Lambent plague or Imulsion corruption, this initial incursion was a purely military assault by the subterranean race. The event forced the collapse of civilian and military defenses alike, turning Ephyra into a battlefield where Retro Lancer assault rifles—not yet upgraded with chainsaws—were used to counter the overwhelming enemy numbers.

Reader's Guide

Emergence Day serves as the primary setting for the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day, taking place entirely within the city of Kalona. The gameplay features a third-person perspective where players control Marcus Fenix but can utilize all four members of Bravo Squad from the start of the campaign. Combat relies on redesigned movement mechanics including sprint sliding, jumping, and climbing to navigate vertical environments and low-ground cover. Players must manage resources while facing returning enemies like Drones and Boomers alongside new creatures from the Hollows.

The campaign supports four-player online co-op or two-player split-screen play, emphasizing a "Never Fight Alone" philosophy. Key mechanics include the Active Reload system with shell-by-shell reloading, dynamic destruction of Emergence Holes, and localized gore effects built on Unreal Engine 5. The experience runs at 60 frames per second in campaign mode with hardware-accelerated ray tracing enabled.