Gears of War: E-Day costs may be high due to Unreal Engine support

Reports suggest Gears of War: E-Day cost more than $500 million to produce before marketing expenses. Former Xbox senior product manager Derek Reese says a large portion of The Coalition's operational costs may come from supporting Microsoft's custom branch of Unreal Engine while developing the game. Reese notes that this responsibility creates significant financial pressure. He previously proposed that Microsoft should write off these support costs rather than leaving them as a burden on The Coalition.

Gears of War: E-Day · official art via IGDB

Microsoft has not confirmed the reported $500 million figure, and Xbox Game Studios has not released an official budget. Reports say the game has sold approximately 400,000 copies outside of Game Pass since its October 6, 2026, launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC. These sales figures have not been independently confirmed.

Background In early October, employees at The Coalition reported concerns about potential layoffs following the game's launch. Our earlier story