Gears of War: E-Day is renovating the 20-year-old foundations that the franchise was built upon. The Coalition made the decision to start from scratch as it faced the daunting task of transitioning to Unreal Engine 5, opting to recreate every single system, mechanic, and art asset anew as it sought to tell the story of Emergence Day – the day that Sera crumbled, as the Locust emerged from beneath the ground and brought a civilization to its knees.
This means that big changes are coming to Gears of War: E-Day. While it's still going to be a heavy-footed, cover-based shooter made in the mold of the games that have come before it, The Coalition is pushing for greater mobility, more verticality, and slicker movement mechanics to bring a greater sense of urgency and anticipation to the gory combat. One unexpected change comes in how Active Reload is being handled.
"Active Reload has always been a massive part of Gears, it's an iconic feature," says creative director Matt Searcy. For those of you who need a refresh, the act of swapping a clip in Gears of War actually kickstarts a small minigame whereby hitting different spots of the reloading mechanism can change the speed in which you're able to get back into combat. "For E-Day, we've moved the Active Reload bar to the middle of the screen by default."
For players who have been with the series for two years, this is no doubt going to be one of those changes that sounds small but has the potential to have a seismic impact on the way that you play – especially if your brain has now been rewired to naturally draw your eyes to the top-right position of the screen when dealing with reloads. The Coalition is aware that some may not appreciate the change.
"You can change the Active Reload position to the top right if that's what you prefer," says Searcy, but explains that this change is borne out of internal playtesting. "We've noticed through our testing that the bar being in the middle of the screen is where people actually use Active Reload the most. It becomes part of their shooting experience."
That isn't the only change The Coalition is making. While prior Gears games would typically have three Active Reload states – regular, perfect, and failed; each with their own positives and pitfalls – E-Day will give certain weapons their own unique Active Reload effects. Searcy points to everybody's favorite shotgun as a great example: "Some weapons will have additional Active Reload mechanics. The Gnasher is back, and you can actually see every single shell being loaded into it. If you want to at any time, you can pull a trigger to stop your reload, keep the two or three shells that you loaded, and then use them on the enemy that's right in front of you – if you're willing to give up your Active bonus."
It's a fascinating change, and one that reflects The Coalition's willingness to rip up the rulebook as it attempts to create a Gears of War game that captures the vibe of the 2006 original whilst making an experience that feels ready for action in 2026. You'll be able to try the Active Reload changes for yourself come October 6, where Gears of War: E-Day lands on PC, Game Pass, and Xbox Series X.
Gears of War: E-Day is now a console exclusive, making it one of the most anticipated upcoming Xbox Series X games of 2026.
