Gears of War: E-Day debuted with an 88 Metacritic score on Xbox and around 84-85 on PC, making it the highest-rated entry in the franchise since Epic Games' Gears of War 3. Gears of War 4 and Gears 5 both stopped at 84, while the spin-off Judgment scored 79. Pure Xbox, Eurogamer Germany, and DayOne were among the outlets awarding top marks. Critics consistently praise the combat, especially its heavy, tactile gunplay, complemented by new jumping and sliding mechanics. The main complaints concern the bland story, uneven campaign pacing, weak companion AI, and performance problems, particularly on Xbox Series S and PC.Image unavailableDespite the critical success, the mood inside the studio is reportedly anxious. According to Eurogamer, narrative director Juan Vaca was laid off shortly before release. Other The Coalition employees were also reportedly let go without a public announcement. Developers now fear another round of layoffs after E-Day launches, or a wider reorganization that could place the studio under Activision.The issue of bonuses has become especially sensitive. Developer payouts are tied to the game's Metacritic score and are expected near the end of October, but employees must still be on staff when the bonuses are paid. If Microsoft carries out layoffs before then, affected developers could lose payments worth tens of thousands of dollars in some cases. According to Eurogamer, employees who were laid off before release, including Vaca, will still receive their bonuses if the target scores are met. Current staff, however, are not convinced they will remain employed long enough to receive theirs. After repeated rounds of layoffs, trust in Microsoft's leadership has reportedly eroded.
