Xbox Denies That Gears Of War: E-Day Skipping PS5 Was Last-Minute Decision, But No One Believes That

Xbox Denies Last-Minute Decision Behind Gears of War: E-Day Exclusivity, But Doubts Remain

An Xbox marketing executive has firmly denied that the decision to make Gears of War: E-Day an Xbox console exclusive was made at the last minute, despite mounting speculation and fan skepticism. The controversy arose after a video showing a PS5 logo for the game was abruptly removed, sparking questions about the timing of the exclusivity choice.

Xbox's Aaron Greenberg, head of marketing, claimed the move was not a last-minute decision. "We just limited the knowledge of this news to a very small internal group. The intention was to share this news first with our players and everyone watching the showcase," he stated. Greenberg added that the decision to make E-Day an Xbox exclusive was made "roughly a month in advance," though he did not provide further clarification.

The Evidence That Raised Questions

Reporter Jeff Grubb noted that Microsoft had been actively working on a PS5 version of E-Day before the Xbox Games Showcase. On June 6, he revealed that the game had been pulled from the PlayStation platform just hours before the event. "Gears of War: E-Day was going to be on PS5—it’s not anymore. That just happened. That’s a decision that just got made," Grubb said.

Following the showcase on June 7, where E-Day was officially announced as an Xbox exclusive, Grubb claimed that a "basically finished version of Gears for PlayStation" was still available on internal drives. Retail listings also suggested a PS5 edition had been planned, though these can sometimes be misleading.

Fans had expected E-Day to be on PS5, partly because Microsoft had brought Gears of War: Reloaded to PlayStation in 2025. That marked the first time a Gears title had appeared on Sony's platform.

A Pattern of Console Exclusivity?

This is not the first time Microsoft has reportedly pulled a game from the PS5. In 2023, Redfall director Harvey Smith said Microsoft told him "No PS5" after the company's acquisition of Bethesda. At the time, Microsoft denied pulling any games from PlayStation, but it did not directly refute Smith's claim or confirm the Redfall PS5 edition was canceled.

With E-Day and Clockwork Revolution now confirmed as Xbox console exclusives, Microsoft is continuing its push to position Xbox as the go-to platform for major releases. This aligns with CEO Asha Sharma's broader strategy to "reset" the Xbox business and attract more console buyers.

Microsoft has also clarified that E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are not timed exclusives, suggesting they will never come to PS5. This contrasts with Greenberg's 2021 statement that Starfield was not a timed exclusive on Xbox—only for the game to later appear on PS5.

The Changing Landscape of Console Exclusivity

During a court case with the FTC to secure the Activision Blizzard acquisition, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expressed his dislike for console exclusives. "If it was up to me I would love to get rid of the entire exclusives on consoles," he said, but added that it was not his decision to make, especially as Sony remains the dominant force in the console market.

Despite this, Microsoft's approach to exclusivity has shifted in recent years. While Halo: Campaign Evolved and the Fable reboot are still coming to PS5, the company is taking a case-by-case approach to platform availability.

Under previous leadership—Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond—Microsoft had pursued a more open strategy, releasing many of its games on multiple platforms to expand reach and increase revenue. This approach saw significant success, with Forza Horizon 5 earning over $300 million on PS5.

Xbox's new Chief Strategy Officer, Matthew Ball, has pointed out that the brand and business "languished" under Spencer and Bond's leadership. As Microsoft continues to evolve, the balance between exclusivity and multi-platform availability remains a key focus for the company.