Emergence Day origin story Gears of War: E-Day will be co-developed by shooter powerhouse and longtime Gears supporter People Can Fly, which was built on the enduring legacy of 2004 FPS Painkiller and is most recently known for the looter shooter Outriders.
The official Gears of War social media feeds have been napping ever since a few scant reveals and rumors last year; People Can Fly shared today’s news in a blog post of its own. “We are honored to return to the world of Gears of War, a franchise deeply embedded in our studio’s history,” the studio says. “As lead developer of the iconic Gears of War: Judgment and co-development partner on Gears of War 1-3, we have always been passionate about the series and its legacy.”
Mike Crump, studio head at Gears dev The Coalition, says the team is “pleased to be partnering with the talented folks at People Can Fly who have been a part of our franchise’s legacy for so long.”
“Our team at People Can Fly, made up of dedicated Gears of War fans, is pouring everything we have into creating an experience that will exceed expectations,” adds People Can Fly development director Guillaume Barry. “While we can’t share more just yet, we’re eager for the day when we can show all the exciting things we’ve been working on.”
People Can Fly’s history is a fascinating mix of solid-to-great games and easy-to-forget contributions. Gears is obviously in its DNA, but did you remember that the studio also contributed to Fortnite: Save the World back when it was still Epic Games Poland before it rebranded back to its original name and logo? And let’s not forget the many editions of Bulletstorm, arguably the studio’s most recognizable game, at least to people who tragically haven’t played Painkiller. Outriders, meanwhile, played and reviewed well enough, and it actually “surprised” publisher Square Enix, but it feels as though it was swept away by a tide of similarly looty shooters.
All of this is to say that People Can Fly has been at this for over 20 years, and the studio is already fluent in Gears of War, so E-Day tapping them in once again is simultaneously intriguing and unsurprising, like a relative you haven’t seen for a decade turning up at Christmas dinner.
Fully committing to prequel authenticity, The Coalition confirmed last year that the original Marcus and Dom actors are “so back” for the prequel Gears of War: E-Day.