Image: Push Square

Gears of War: E-Day launches into advanced access imminently, and I’m sure our colleagues at Pure Xbox will be bringing you a review the moment the embargo lifts.

You won’t find one on Push Square, of course, as the PS5 version was infamously cancelled earlier this year.

Microsoft made a big song and dance about The Coalition developed prequel’s console exclusivity this summer, although a mistakenly uploaded trailer confirmed it was previously planned for Sony’s console.

That makes sense, of course, because remake Gears of War Reloaded felt like a franchise primer when it debuted on PS5 last year. (Although sales were poor across all platforms, apparently.)

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And now in response to supposedly “soft” pre-orders on Steam, Alinea Analytics’ Rhys Elliot has argued the game shouldn’t have been cancelled on PlayStation.

He noted on X (or Twitter):

“In my view, they shouldn't have cancelled that PlayStation port. It would have added some much-needed extra revenue, the port was reportedly already in the works, and Gears isn't necessarily a console-seller anymore.”

According to Elliot, the new game has amassed just 120k pre-orders on Steam thus far, which is low for a big-budget AAA production like this.

Of course, it should be stressed that Alinea Analytics’ methodology is a mystery, so it’s unclear how it’s determining these figures. Furthermore, the fanbase for Gears of War is undoubtedly biggest on Xbox Series X|S.

However, considering the title will debut into Xbox Game Pass, which has been under increased scrutiny of late for the viability of its day one first-party releases, it’s probably not expected to be a massive full-price seller there either.

Elliot noted in a follow-up message that he was receiving death threats for his read on the situation, so even if you do disagree with his analysis, remember to be constructive and polite in your response.

He did stress that part of the reason he believes the game should release on PS5 is because of its online multiplayer focus, which will require a large crossplay audience to remain popular over time.

I think it’s pretty obvious that Gears of War: E-Day would have sold on PlayStation, but with so many other games coming out – like Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered this week alone – it’d likely face stiff competition and wouldn’t necessarily be a sure hit.

It’s going to be interesting to see how the game performs, and whether Microsoft decides to revive the PS5 version at a later date. I wonder if there’ll still be interest several months after release?

Would you have bought Gears of War: E-Day on PS5?

[source x.com]