A placeholder listing for a PS5 version of Gears of War: E-Day has appeared on Walmart’s website less than 24 hours before Microsoft’s big 2026 Xbox Games Showcase.
Reddit user Laughing__Man_ was one of the first to share the discovery when they posted a link for a “Gears: E-Day Standard Edition” available for PlayStation 5 via Walmart.com late yesterday. That link has now been scrubbed of any mention of Microsoft’s Gears of War prequel, but IGN was able to visit the link before it was taken down.
In addition to mentions of a PS5 version of Gears of War: E-Day, the page featured a price of $99.99 for the standard edition while describing its genre as “first-person shooter” with a pending ESRB rating. Three bullet points – Placeholder 1, TBD 2, and TBD 3 – could also be seen. In other words, just about every piece of text on the Walmart listing suggests the page was a placeholder posted in error, but its existence still has fans scratching their heads.
Gears of War: E-Day was announced in 2024 with the expectation that it would eventually launch for PC and Xbox Series X | S – not PS5. Winds have shifted through the last few years, though, leading fans to second-guess Microsoft’s exclusivity strategy. As some games, including Halo: Campaign Evolved, trickle onto Sony’s rival console, many have believed the new Gears of War game would follow suit, and the appearance of the retailer’s listing will only cause those rumors to heat up.
However, Microsoft has seemingly walked back some of that messaging recently. While the appearance of PS5 versions of titles like Gears of War: Reloaded had many believing Microsoft was quickly moving away from exclusives altogether, newly appointed CEO Asha Sharma has signaled a potential change of plans.
A mission statement emailed to Xbox staff in April of this year also promised leadership would “reevaluate” the company’s approach to exclusivity. One month later, chief content officer Matt Booty warned the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase would still feature competing logos. Sharma eventually called the decision to highlight other platforms “a miss,” promising that discussions about how to “adjust for future Xbox shows” were happening behind the scenes.
Just days ago, Sharma returned to the exclusivity topic when she acknowledged that a platform “must have exclusive content and services” during a conversation with Bloomberg. It’s hard to say how much influence this newfound appreciation for exclusive games could have on games like Gears of War: E-Day, which has been in development for years.
Meanwhile, just as the Walmart listing had fans believing a PS5 version could soon be announced, conflicting rumors suggesting that a PlayStation version was recently canceled have emerged. They originate from Giant Bomb host Jeff Grubb, who said that “Gears of War: E-Day was going to be on PS5” but is “not anymore” following an internal decision that “just got made.”
So, the Gears of War: E-Day PS5 listing could be our first hint at a PlayStation version of the game…or it could mean absolutely nothing. As leaks and rumors consume an increasingly busy Summer Game Fest, it’s probably best players keep expectations in check until we hear from a more official source. We’ll at least know much more about the upcoming prequel game when the Gears of War: E-Day Direct follows the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 presentation later today.
For more on the future of Gears of War, Microsoft, and Xbox, you can read about the all-caps rebrand Sharma revealed in May. You can also read about the “hard choices” she warned about a few weeks ago, as well as the Game Pass price cuts that arrived in April.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
