Today's Xbox Games Showcase brought our first look at gameplay for Gears of War: E-Day in a new trailer featuring Marcus Fenix wearing... very normal clothes?? That's likely because E-Day is about Emergency Day, or the day in the Gears of War universe where the Locust made themselves known from their underground hives. 

Marcus, answering the call to protect the city he seemingly lives in, picks up a gun and gets to work, and it looks awesome, showcasing a key piece of Gears of War's history we've never seen in a game. Plus, this gameplay trailer revealed that Gears of War: E-Day launches exclusively on October 6 on Xbox Series X/S and PC (despite rumors of a PlayStation 5 release).

Check it out in the Gears of War: E-Day gameplay reveal trailer below: 

As you can see, Gears of War: E-Day still retains the classic third-person cover shooter DNA of the prior Gears of War games, though this one is decidedly even more bloody and violent. Its visual fidelity is impressive, too, with developer The Coalition showcasing its Unreal Engine 5 prowess. 

In case this is your first time hearing about the game, Gears of War: E-Day is an origin prequel for the series, set 14 years before the events of the first Gears of War game, and as the name implies, it chronicles the events of longtime protagonist Marcus Fenix as he navigates the eruption of the Locust Horde's siege on humanity. 

In the extended look at Gears of War: E-Day that aired right after today's Xbox Games Showcase, we learned even more about how the game will play. New mechanical advancements include new methods to fight off Locust hordes – how much you explore the city-setting of Kalona will determine how many civilians you help, and The Coalition says exploring city offshoots will lead to additional environmental story discoveries and more. 

The Coalition also touts its emphasis on environmental details that speak to the destruction and chaos the Locusts have caused – dinners left uneaten, TVs still on, and more. Nobody in the city was prepared for this, and the team put a lot of detail into ensuring that what you see on-screen reflects that. The studio also highlighted the return of Locust holes, where hordes of enemies will spew forth, as well as the ways in which bullets, explosions, and Locust attacks bring destruction to Kalona. 

The story explores themes of burden, loss, and loyalty, according to the team. The entire campaign is played from the perspective of the new Bravo Squad, and you'll meet Carter, a new Gear, and Lucas, a fresh cadet, who round out the new crew alongside Marcus and Dom. These four soldiers will navigate tensions together as they fight the Locusts, ultimately forming unshakeable bonds as they attempt to save humanity. Bravo's story also intertwines with others from the Gears of War storyline (including novels), including characters like Gill Gettner and Tai Kaliso. 

Instead of chasing perfect realism in the visuals, risking the loss of the bulky, larger-than-life visual style that defines Gears of War, The Coalition took a respectful approach to presenting these returning characters in new ways, as the showcase revealed. 

Finally, Gears of War: E-Day will run at 4K resolution with native HDR10 rendering and hardware-based 60 FPS ray tracing in the campaign (and 120 FPS in multiplayer). It will feature 4-player online co-op (with all four playable characters available from the jump) and 2-player splitscreen co-op.

Gears of War: E-Day launches October 6, 2026, as a platform exclusive game on Xbox Series X/S and PC. 

Platform: PC
Publisher: NetEase Games
Developer: 24 Entertainment

Blood Message is developer 24 Entertainment’s first AAA single-player title, and in several ways feels like the team looked to the best playbook for making such a thing: first-party PlayStation. The game boasts incredible production values and cinematography, centers on a father/son relationship, has scripted high-octane linear chase sequences, and feels as much like watching a prestige historical TV drama as a game. I’m not saying that with any shade; I’ll always enjoy that popcorn blockbuster flavor of interactive experiences. But more than anything else, Blood Message wowed me with its cinematic and realistic combat. 

Blood Message is set in 848 AD during China’s late Tang Dynasty. The nameless protagonist is no great significant figure, but rather a rank-and-file soldier and messenger. Caught in a massive conflict, the messenger must embark on a brutal 1,000-mile journey to Chang'an alongside his young son. In addition to surviving skirmishes with enemy forces, they’ll have to contend with the unforgiving terrain and the elements themselves.

My demo opens early, with the messenger and his brother, racing to return to the former’s home as their city falls under attack. To the protagonist, nothing matters more than getting home to protect his son. I don’t get much in the way of plot details beyond this, but the presentation makes up for it. Blood Message is a beautiful game, and while I can’t 100% confirm it, it appears to feature a single-shot camera. I can’t recall seeing any camera cuts during my time playing, and the cinematography reminded me heavily of the modern God of War games. 

I moved through the linear street alleys, semi-abandoned homes, and rooftops, mashing button prompts to push an obstruction out of the way (like a fallen shelf) and squeezing through narrow entryways. It’s all very familiar fare, but it's achieved with a AAA shine. It’s Blood Message’s impactful sword-combat that raised my eyebrows the highest. 
The action on its face is nothing new; assault foes using light and heavy attacks, block and parry offense, and occasionally QTE-button mash out of an enemy grapple. But the realistic animations of the intimate and brutal encounters add a satisfying, visceral edge to the action; this is not a stylish action game, but something more grounded and weighty, yet still slick. 

 

Attacks are mapped to the right shoulder triggers while blocking/parrying occupy the left bumper; it’s a very Souls-like setup, but this is not a Souls game, to be clear. I didn’t find the combat particularly challenging, but I quickly settled into a fun groove of chaining light attacks, using heavy attacks to break the defenses of shield-bearing foes, parrying any form of retaliation (creating satisfying sword clashes), and initiating highly-scripted executions. Watching the combat is like watching an impressive tech demo that looks too good to be true, but I can confirm that, at least in this build, it's all very real. I always smiled when another wave of enemies tried to impede my progress. 

Some areas allow for stealth, letting me sneak up and quietly – and violently – execute targets, such as pounding the point of a hammer into their throats. Again, the stealth segments are basic AAA fare: crouch behind some cover, sneak up, and drop the targets, with the protagonist’s brother joining in synchronized ambushes in some instances. The same familiarity applies to a big chase sequence where, upon being spotted by the enemy, the protagonist must flee down linear streets, leaping over scripted obstacles, where things are exploding, arrows fly my way, and structures crumble around him as he makes a dramatic leap, just barely managing to grab hold of something before crashing down anyway. It’s a sequence Nathan Drake would feel right at home in, and while it’s nothing new, it’s executed well and is fun to watch.

This early section of Blood Message suggests it will provide a meat-and-potatoes experience for the average AAA action fan. It checks off many of the boxes that made games like God of War and Uncharted successful; it sports visual fidelity you’ll want to show non-gamer friends to brag about how far video games have come; its combat is easy to grasp but oh-so fun to execute. I didn’t see anything to suggest it will reinvent the action game genre, but not every game needs to or can, for that matter. I had a great time playing the demo, and I’m most interested in finding out whether Blood Message has the storytelling chops to match its razor-sharp presentation and combat. We still have no idea when the full game is coming, but for now, I'm optimistic it will be a completely enjoyable take on a proven formula. 

Son of Thanjai is an open-world action game set in 11th-Century South India, a unique setting in the medium, and if that pitch doesn't sell you on it, its gameplay trailer might. That's because it looks awesome, with the princely protagonist Vinnendhira Chola utilizing the Indian whip-sword weapon known as a Surul Vaal to dismember enemies invading his one-day kingdom in a violently bloody fashion. 

At 19 years old, Vinnendhira has spent his life behind palace walls, avoiding responsibility and enjoying royal comfort. But his father is dying, and enemies are preparing to overthrow the family throne, so Vinnendhira is thrown into an adventure where he must fight tooth and nail (and whip) to survive. Son of Thanjai also takes an alternate-history approach to the Chola Empire, alluding to surprises likely in store when the game launches sometime in the future on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. 

Check it out in the Son of Thanjai gameplay reveal trailer below: 

Looks pretty cool, right? There aren't many games set in India, and even fewer (maybe none) set in 11th-Century South India. This setting and the game's premise, coupled with this first look at gameplay, have caught my attention, and I look forward to checking it out one day. 

Here are some more details from the Steam page: 

"Cast out, Vinnendhiran travels a kingdom at the height of its power and on the edge of collapse: temple crowns crowded with merchants and pilgrims, fertile river plains, dangerous frontier roads, occupied settlements, and courts thick with ambition. Some still believe in the Cholas. Others have suffered because of them. Most are simply trying to survive. The farther he travels from the throne he lost, the more he learns how little he ever understood the people he was born to rule, and how much he will need them."

There's no word on when Son of Thanjai will launch, but the Steam page says "coming soon," so hopefully we can check it out on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC in the near future. 

For more, check out the coolest games we've played during the Summer Game Fest media play days, and then catch up on our Summer Game Fest 2026 Showcase round-up for the latest announcements, updates, news, and more. 

What do you think of this gameplay reveal? Let us know in the comments below!

There might not be anything cooler than Beyblades – ripping metallic, over-the-top spinning tops into a weird plastic arena and watching with bated breath while it knocks into another person's top until one stops completely. And that's why I'm so stoked about Slayblade, a Y2K Beyblade-inspired roguelite where you collect parts and, well, let it rip. 

Revealed during the Frosty Games Fest, one of the many showcases held during this wildly packed SGF-related week, Slayblade is an upcoming game from Henry's House, the team behind 2022's Kardboard Kings, and Oscar Brittain, and it looks awesome. It features colorful Y2K lofi visuals, more than 60 blade parts to collect and unlock, and some excellent music that will be the soundtrack to your "chill roguelite" story-lite adventure through PS1-inspired city streets, at least if the reveal trailer is any indication. 

Check it out for yourself in the Slayblade gameplay trailer below: 

"Build your battle-top and become King of the Streets," the game's description reads. "Collect 60+ parts, merge their powers, and dominate opponents in this chill roguelite. Skate around a vibrant Y2K city, winning cash and upgrades on your way to the top. And if you die in the game, you die in real life." 

Surely that last part is just a joke, right? Right?? Fortunately, we can all find out for sure, because a Slayblade demo is now available on Steam. 

I guess let us know if you die in the comments...

Platform: PlayStation 5, PC
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Developer: Great Ape Games

Dinosaur survival game The Lost Wild seemed, for lack of a better word, lost since its reveal in 2021. So much so, in fact, that we included the game in our recent magazine round-up of long-announced games that had more or less gone radio silent since their debuts. We like to think that article willed the game’s reemergence during this week's PlayStation’s State of Play into existence, but regardless of the reasoning, we’re happy to see it again, and I was even more intrigued to check out a 30-minute hands-off demo at Summer Game Fest Play Days

The game stars Saskia, a woman who awakens after a car accident to find herself on an island teeming with dinosaurs. The live demo begins in an impressively rendered moonlit forest, which is devoid of any static HUD elements. As Saskia carefully navigates the dense foliage in first-person, the demoer highlights one of the key elements of The Lost Wild: stealth. Moving too quickly or loudly, or using your flashlight or igniting flares, will alert nearby animals to your presence, which might include hungry carnivores. 

Saskia is apparently not a fighter, but even if she were, I doubt she could do much against the main threat of this demo: an Allosaurus. This apex predator makes its presence known when Saskia encounters a man wearing a hazmat suit near a facility. As the panicked man runs towards Sasikia, likely grateful to see someone who isn’t a prehistoric reptile, he’s promptly snatched by the jaws of the Allosaurus as Saskia quickly crawls under a nearby car. Underneath the vehicle, the man is dropped to the ground remarkably intact before Allosaurus scoops him back up and viciously chomps him in half. His bloody bottom half, entrails exposed, slumps to the ground as the Allosaurus seemingly catches a whiff of the terrified Saskia. After a few curious sniffs, it resumes devouring the remains of its prey – false alarm. Although the graphical fidelity of the dinosaur and characters leaves a bit to be desired in this in-development build, the scene gets its point across effectively; don’t get caught. 

As scary as they can be, The Lost Wild’s dinosaurs are not designed to be bloodthirsty monsters whose sole purpose is to make Saskia their lunch. Instead, developer Great Ape Games aims to depict them as real animals who behave accordingly. While I don’t get to see how nuanced this behavior can be, the Allosaurus doesn’t feel like it's actively hunting Saskia. It’s roaming the area probably because this is its territory, but when it does discover the player, they need to act fast. Creating distractions is key, such as a later sequence when Saskia enters a facility and throws a rock to knock out an outdoor light to draw the Allosaurus' attention. If distractions don’t work, the demo shows you can hide in tall grass to sneak around, slide under vehicles like a scared child cowering under a bed, or just run for it and hope for the best. That last option ended badly on two occasions for the developer playing the build for us, however.

 

As a passionate fan of the original Jurassic Park, I have a soft spot for scary yet awe-inspiring dinosaur media, so The Lost Wild’s premise strikes a few good chords. The demo was intentionally slow and a decent mood piece, but I love the premise. I'm also eager to witness the realistic dinosaur behaviors shine through beyond the Allosaurus murderizing someone. I also hope the animals and characters will be sharpened up by the time the game arrives in 2027. 

It’s also hard not to acknowledge the strange, perhaps unfortunate, coincidence of how The Lost Wild shares almost the same “run and hide from the dinosaurs” premise with another upcoming game, Jurassic Park: Survival, but without Universal’s popular license. While The Lost Wild was announced first, it’s hard not to pine for Saber Interactive's upcoming game more, given my aforementioned fandom for the franchise. I truly hope The Lost Wild can woo me on its own merits, and I’m intrigued to see how this long-awaited project sticks the landing.