Gears of War: E-Day celebrates 20 years with Guardian and Season 2

Gears of War: E-Day is marking the franchise’s 20th anniversary with a limited-time event, a free RAAM multiplayer character and a second season built around the series’ history. The Coalition announced the plans through Xbox Wire, with Season 2: Legacy scheduled to begin on December 1.¹

The anniversary event

The two-week event is live in Gears of War: E-Day and adds anniversary-themed activities to its multiplayer rotation. Guardian returns in Versus, where teams fight to keep their leader alive, while Horde Siege gets the For the Queen mode. The latter disables the supply cache, so squads have to rely on the loadouts they bring into the match.¹

The Coalition is also giving every Gears of War: E-Day player the RAAM multiplayer character for free. Players can claim him by logging in during the anniversary promotion. Xbox Wire does not state a claim deadline, so players who want the character should check the game while the event is running rather than assume the offer will remain available indefinitely.¹

The event is a celebration of the series’ 20-year history, but it is also a practical reminder that E-Day is being treated as an active multiplayer platform. The returning mode and new reward give existing players a reason to come back now, instead of waiting for the next full season.

Season 2: Legacy arrives in December

Season 2: Legacy begins on December 1. The Coalition says the update will bring back fan-favourite maps, modes and multiplayer skins from across the franchise. One confirmed example is the Solemn Memories Dom skin, which recreates Dom Santiago’s suit from the well-known photograph of Dom and Maria in Gears of War 2.¹

The announcement does not provide a complete map list, a full launch-day reward breakdown or a separate price for the season. It also does not say how long the anniversary event’s modes and rewards will remain available. Those details matter because the event is explicitly described as limited-time content, while Legacy is presented as the next season rather than a one-off birthday activity.

Gears of War: E-Day is available on Xbox and Windows PC. Xbox’s listing notes that online multiplayer features require a Game Pass subscription that includes online multiplayer, sold separately, and that availability can vary by region.²

Our opinion

This is the right sort of anniversary update for E-Day. Bringing back Guardian and adding a free RAAM character gives the celebration an immediate hook, while Legacy has a clearer long-term purpose: it turns the franchise’s history into playable content instead of leaving the birthday as a cosmetic marketing beat. The unanswered claim deadline is the only awkward part. If the reward is time-limited, Xbox should say exactly when players need to log in.