Gears of War: E-Day has reportedly sold more than 400,000 copies across Xbox and Steam, according to a source cited by The Verge. The figure offers an early look at the game’s sales performance, although it doesn’t account for players accessing the title through Xbox Game Pass.
The reported sales come amid scrutiny over the game’s development costs. Kotaku previously reported that Gears of War: E-Day cost “over $500 million” to make, excluding marketing, while Windows Central editor Jez Corden has discussed a reported budget covering spending beyond the game itself.
Corden said the $500 million figure appeared accurate for the combined budget associated with The Coalition’s work on the previous Gears of War game and E-Day. However, he noted that his sources disagreed over how those costs were allocated. The figure reportedly includes spending on the studio’s wider operations and contributions to other projects, making it difficult to establish the amount spent specifically on E-Day.
Game Pass is another factor in assessing the game’s performance. The reported 400,000 sales figure excludes subscribers who have played through Microsoft’s subscription service, while the revenue generated through Game Pass remains unclear. Microsoft has not disclosed its sales targets for E-Day or confirmed whether the game has recouped its development costs.
Gears of War: E-Day was confirmed to be a console exclusive to Xbox, so it launched without a PlayStation 5 version. While Microsoft has shown no intention to make it a multiplatform release later down the line, whether a potential PS5 release could generate additional revenue remains uncertain.
