Dire Estimated Gears of War: E-Day Sales Raise Queries About Last-Minute PS5 Cancellation
Gears of War: E-Day sold an estimated 230,000 copies, though Xbox Game Pass players generated 130% more revenue than Steam sales. Analysis from Alinea Analytics indicates the game had a weak start, with 1.7 million players accessing the title via Game Pass to reach roughly $37 million in total revenue. While reviews were positive, analysts warn that the day-one Game Pass release is cannibalizing premium sales. These figures have led to industry questions regarding Microsoft's exclusivity strategy and the reported cancellation of a PlayStation 5 version.
Listen to Live Briefing
Real-time synthesized voice briefing · Live Feeds Desk
- ✓ Gears of War: E-Day sold an estimated 230,000 copies.
- ✓ Approximately 1.7 million players accessed the game through Xbox Game Pass.
- ✓ Xbox Game Pass players generated 130% more revenue than Steam sales.
- ✓ The game suffered a DDoS attack that caused login issues and disconnects.
What changed
Alinea Analytics provided specific sales estimates of 230,000 units and 1.7 million Game Pass users.
Live updates
-
Gears of War: E-Day Sales Estimates Spark Debate Over PS5 Cancellation
Gears of War: E-Day sold an estimated 230,000 copies, though Xbox Game Pass players generated 130% more revenue than Steam sales. Analysis from Alinea Analytics indicates the game had a weak start, with 1.7 million players accessing the title via Game Pass to reach roughly $37 million in total revenue. While reviews were positive, analysts warn that the day-one Game Pass release is cannibalizing premium sales. These figures have led to industry questions regarding Microsoft's exclusivity strategy and the reported cancellation of a PlayStation 5 version.
Why it matters
The title is a prequel in the Gears of War series developed by The Coalition. Microsoft's decision to keep the game exclusive to its ecosystem follows reports of a near-complete PS5 build. The tension between subscription revenue and unit sales reflects a broader shift in Xbox's business model.
What is confirmed
- Gears of War: E-Day sold an estimated 230,000 copies.
- Approximately 1.7 million players accessed the game through Xbox Game Pass.
- Xbox Game Pass players generated 130% more revenue than Steam sales.
- The game suffered a DDoS attack that caused login issues and disconnects.
Still unconfirmed
- An almost-finished PS5 version of the game exists within The Coalition's office.
- The game was rated for release on Sony's console.
- Total revenue for the title is roughly $37 million.
- Gears of War: E-Day sold 168,000 copies on Steam.
What to watch next
- Official sales figures from Microsoft
- Confirmation of a PS5 version's existence or cancellation
- Updated revenue reports following the initial launch window
confidence 80%Sources used for this update (20)
- TechPowerUp — Gears of War: E-Day Sold 168,000 Copies on Steam but Xbox Game Pass Players Generated 130% More Revenue
- The Alinea Insight newsletter — Gears of War: E-Day sells 230K copies - by Rhys Elliott
- BBC — Xbox bets on Gears of War in battle of gaming giants
- Pure Xbox — Analysis Firm Shares Their Sales Estimates For Gears Of War: E-Day
- The New York Times — Nostalgic Battles and Rich Urban Ruins in a Worthy Prequel
- Push Square — Dire Estimated Gears of War: E-Day Sales Raise Queries About Last-Minute PS5 Cancellation
- Forbes — Are Gears Of War: E-Day’s Reportedly Poor Sales As Bad As They Look?
- Game Informer — Gears of War: E-Day Review: A Grand Reemergence
- gamerant.com — Gears of War: E-Day Estimated Sales Numbers Revealed
- Temple of Geek — Gears of War: E-Day Multiplayer Review
- IGN — Gears of War: E-Day Sales Start Soft as Analyst Warns Game Pass Is 'Cannibalizing' Premium Revenue on Xbox
- geeksandgamers.com — Gears of War: E-Day Sales are Weak, According to Alinea Analytics
Community Sentiment: How do you assess this situation?
Voice your perspective · Real-time aggregated sentiment from the Live Feeds community