Every Gears of War: E-Day player gets RAAM as a free multiplayer character on Saturday, November 7, the 20th anniversary of the original Gears of War, The Coalition announced on Xbox Wire on November 6, 2026. The same post confirms that Season 2, titled Legacy, begins December 1.
The Details
The original Gears of War launched on Xbox 360 on November 7, 2006, and The Coalition is treating the date as a birthday. Here is what it announced:
- RAAM, free: the Locust general from the first game is a gift “to every Gears of War: E-Day player.” The studio’s instructions are short: “Just login to claim him instantly.”
- 20 Years of Gears event: a two-week anniversary event kicked off this week with limited-time modes and new rewards. In Versus, the event mode is Guardian, “where only one leader makes it out alive.” In Horde Siege, the For the Queen mode disables the supply cache, “leaving you and the squad to rely on your loadouts.”
- Season 2: Legacy, December 1: the next season “continues to honor the greatest hits of Gears over 20 years” through maps, modes and multiplayer skins, and brings back fan favorites from across the series.
- New takes on old characters: the first skin The Coalition named is Solemn Memories Dom, who wears the suit from the famous photo of Dom and Maria in Gears of War 2.
The post does not list the event’s rewards or say how long RAAM stays claimable after his anniversary day.
What This Means for Players
Log in on November 7. The Coalition has not given a cutoff for the gift, so claiming it on the day is the safe choice, and RAAM then joins your multiplayer roster with no purchase or grind.
For the Queen is the event mode that changes how Horde Siege plays. With no supply cache to lean on, what your squad brings matters more than usual, so check our best Horde Siege class guide before you queue, and our best weapons guide for the loadout itself. If Guardian is new to you, our multiplayer modes and Horde guide covers how Versus and Horde Siege are built.
The December 1 date also marks the end of Season 1: Emergence, which leaves a few weeks to finish anything you are chasing this season. The Coalition’s Season 1 plan has one more two-week event, Thanksgibbing, before Legacy starts. Ranked players should note that the studio still has not said whether ranks reset between seasons; our Ranked guide has what is confirmed. Every guide is on our Gears of War hub, and our Halloween event story covers the season’s first event.
When and Where
- 20 Years of Gears event: live now, for two weeks.
- Free RAAM: Saturday, November 7; log in to claim.
- Season 2: Legacy: December 1.
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S and PC (Xbox app and Steam), and Game Pass.
Source: The Coalition, “20 Years of Gears”, Xbox Wire, November 6, 2026.