Gears of War: E-Day has reportedly sold more than 400,000 copies across Xbox and Steam. The figure comes from Tom Warren of The Verge, who says one source gave him the number in his Notepad newsletter.
That count leaves out Game Pass, where the game is also available. Microsoft has not published sales for E-Day, so the number is unconfirmed and its source is unnamed.
Sales without the subscription
Xbox’s launch post from 1 October lists E-Day for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, with Steam and the Microsoft Store as PC options. Early access started that day for Premium Edition buyers, and for Game Pass members who add the Premium Upgrade. Everyone else got the game on 6 October. The post carries no sales or player figures.
So the 400,000 covers copies bought outright. How many people play through Game Pass, and whether Microsoft is happy with that, is the part Warren calls the big question. He also asks whether Game Pass revenue makes up for lost Xbox sales and for PS5 sales that a port would have brought.
The cost question
The figure arrived in the middle of an argument about what the game cost. Kotaku put the production bill above $500 million, with marketing on top. In his newsletter, Warren adds that the game has the highest Metacritic score of any Gears entry since the Xbox 360 era, and that it is a test of a possible return to Xbox exclusivity.
Neither Microsoft nor The Coalition has commented on the sales number or the budget in anything we could find. Until Xbox shares its own figures, 400,000 is one source’s count of paid copies and tells us nothing about subscription play.
