Gears of War: E-Day has reportedly yet to recoup its costs, with Windows Central editor Jez Corden discussing a reported $500 million budget that covers more than the game alone. Corden said the figure appears to be accurate for the combined budget associated with The Coalition’s work on the previous game and E-Day, although there is disagreement among his sources over how those costs were allocated.
Responding to discussions on X, Corden explained that the reported figure includes spending on The Coalition’s wider operations and contributions to other projects. He said the budget structure made it difficult to determine how much was spent specifically on E-Day, adding that a substantial portion was likely tied to the game.
Corden also indicated that some of the spending covered assets intended for future instalments, including a potential Gears of War: E-Day sequel. This complicates the question of whether the entire amount should be attributed to the current game, since some of the work could support multiple projects.
When asked whether E-Day had succeeded in recouping its budget, Corden replied, “absolutely not.” He suggested Microsoft might view the game as a loss leader to help increase engagement on Xbox consoles and strengthen the platform, although he stressed that the situation remained unclear.
Corden also argued that releasing the game on PlayStation 5 would not have made it profitable. He added that The Coalition could reuse assets and underlying code for several future games, potentially allowing Microsoft to spread some of the development costs across subsequent projects.
The discussion comes amid questions about how Microsoft will evaluate The Coalition’s spending. Corden said the outcome would depend on how the company’s auditors assess the budget and how Microsoft accounts for work that benefits future games.
