Recent reports indicate that the production cost for Gears of War: E-Day reached approximately $500 million, though this figure may represent a broader scope of activity than the creation of a single game. According to Windows Central writer Jez Corden, who spoke with multiple sources familiar with the situation, this half-billion dollar sum was paid over several years to The Coalition while the studio worked on the title.
The Coalition emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic functioning as a versatile developer, assisting not only on various Xbox games but also on the underlying technology powering them. Corden explained that the studio collaborated with Epic Games on tech demos for Unreal Engine 5, including The Matrix Awakens and Alpha Point. This expertise was subsequently leveraged to support other developers within the Xbox Games Studio portfolio.
Sources report that The Coalition spent over 18 months developing a prototype game that was eventually canceled. Additionally, the studio provided assistance on titles such as Avowed, Hellblade 2, Clockwork Revolution, State of Decay 3, Grounded, and Grounded 2, while also contributing to the upcoming StarCraft project at Blizzard.
Development on Gears of War: E-Day reportedly accelerated once Mike Crump was appointed studio head. Corden noted that the $500 million figure circulating internally might be used to justify potential cuts, layoffs, or even a studio closure targeting The Coalition, possibly to soften the blowback should Microsoft take such action. However, Corden stated he has not heard any plans for Xbox to close the studio.
Regarding commercial performance, Gears of War: E-Day is reported to have sold poorly, a situation attributed to several factors. The game was released exclusively for PC and Xbox Series X|S and made available through Xbox Game Pass. Furthermore, it launched during an exceptionally busy period with numerous major releases competing for consumer attention and spending.
Circana analyst Mat Piscatella recently commented on the title's market impact, stating that making Gears of War: E-Day exclusive to Xbox has not resulted in increased console sales.
Sources: GameSpot.