Xbox Clarifies Gears of War: E-Day PS5 Port Was Not Dropped 'Last-Minute'

Xbox has clarified that the recent rumors about Gears of War: E-Day being pulled from PlayStation "last-minute" are false. The confusion arose after the official Xbox Podcast accidentally published a slide showing the game with PS5 listed as one of its platforms. This image was part of a deep dive into the game, which was later removed from public view.

The slide included the October 6, 2026 release date, indicating the game was already in an advanced stage of development. The leak occurred before the Xbox Games Showcase 2026, where the game was officially announced as an Xbox console exclusive. Microsoft quickly removed the leaked content from its YouTube channel and official Xbox page, but not before it was captured and shared online by users like Jessie.Bristol from ResetEra.

The Rumors and the Response

There has been significant speculation in recent days about whether Gears of War: E-Day would be available on PlayStation or remain exclusive to Xbox and PC. This speculation was fueled by a Walmart placeholder page for the game on PS5, which was accidentally published on June 6. However, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma dispelled those rumors during the showcase, confirming that Gears of War: E-Day is indeed an Xbox console exclusive.

Microsoft has emphasized that the game will only be available on PC via Steam, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, and Xbox Series X|S. In a response to The Verge's Tom Warren, Xbox vice president of games marketing Aaron Greenberg stated, "I can confirm this is not true," referring to the rumors that Microsoft had pulled the game from PS5 "last-minute."

Greenberg also mentioned that the decision to make Gears of War: E-Day exclusive was made well in advance, "roughly a month in advance" of the showcase. He added, "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."

Gears of War's History on PlayStation

Even if Gears of War: E-Day had been announced for PS5, it wouldn't be the first time Microsoft has brought Gears of War to PlayStation fans. In August 2025, a ground-up remaster of the original game, titled Gears of War: Reloaded, was released for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.

Gears of War: E-Day, first announced in 2024, has shown promise as a nostalgic return to the franchise. The game's gameplay reveal last year suggested that it could be a nostalgic success for fans of the series. A multiplayer beta is set to launch on August 6, giving players a taste of what to expect.

For more information on how Microsoft's recent Game Pass price increase affected its subscriber base, you can read about the millions of cancellations that followed. Additionally, you can check out all the announcements made during the Xbox Games Showcase 2026.