Xbox Vice President of Games Marketing Aaron Greenberg has pushed back against claims that Microsoft only recently decided to make Gears of War: E-Day an Xbox console exclusive.
The discussion began after The Verge journalist Tom Warren claimed Microsoft had changed plans for Gears of War: E-Day at the last minute. Warren pointed to an Xbox podcast video that allegedly included promotional artwork featuring a PlayStation 5 logo before the video was later removed.
“Microsoft changed Gears of War: E-Day to an Xbox exclusive at the last minute. If you want the ultimate proof of that, Xbox posted a podcast today and forgot to remove the PS5 logo from the E-Day art 😬 Xbox has removed the video now,” Warren wrote on social media.
Greenberg quickly disputed the claim, responding, “Hey Tom, I can confirm this is not true. We just limited the knowledge of this news to a very small internal group. Intention was to share this news first with our players and everyone watching showcase.”
When Warren asked what specifically was incorrect about the report, Greenberg clarified, “It is not true that it was a last minute decision.”
Warren then questioned when the decision had been made. Greenberg replied, “A lot has changed since Asha came into role 107 days ago. We are moving fast and it’s frankly pretty energizing inside the hallways here. I was made aware of these exclusives roughly a month in advance. Hope that helps!”
The exchange follows Microsoft’s confirmation that Gears of War: E-Day will remain an Xbox console exclusive despite the company’s broader strategy of bringing several first-party games to competing platforms in recent years.
Developed by The Coalition in Unreal Engine 5, Gears of War: E-Day serves as a prequel to the main series, focusing on younger versions of Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago during the opening stages of the Locust invasion. The game is scheduled to launch on October 6, 2026, for Xbox Series X/S and PC, and will be available through Xbox Game Pass on day one.
While Greenberg did not disclose exactly when the exclusivity decision was finalized, his comments indicate that the move was made well before the public reveal and was not a reactionary last-minute change as some had speculated.
