The Gears of War: E-Day co-op campaign supports up to four players online, or two players in split-screen on the same Xbox Series X|S console. It is cross platform between Xbox, the Xbox app on PC and Steam, with Steam players linking an Xbox account to send cross-platform invites; there is no split-screen on PC, and friends can join a campaign that is already in progress.
Below we cover who you play as, joining a friend’s game, the co-op rules, how to start split-screen, online requirements, whether E-Day is cross platform, and the co-op multiplayer modes. This guide covers the release version on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC and Steam, verified against Xbox Wire, the official store pages and The Coalition’s own notes. There is no PS5 version.
Gears of War E-Day Co-op at a Glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Co-op campaign players | Up to 4 online, each as a member of Bravo Squad |
| Split-screen (couch co-op) | 2 players, Xbox Series X/S only |
| Split-screen on PC | Not available |
| Cross platform | Yes: Xbox, the Xbox app on PC and Steam play together |
| PS5 version | None, so no PlayStation crossplay |
| Join a campaign in progress | Yes |
| Difficulty in co-op | Each player picks their own |
| Online co-op on Xbox | Needs Game Pass Essential or higher |
| Co-op against AI | Yes: campaign, Horde Siege, Player vs Bot and Combat Training |
Campaign Co-op: Four Players, Four Characters
The campaign follows Bravo Squad, four soldiers caught in the first days of the Locust invasion: Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago, and two new characters, Mags Carter (played by Elizabeth Ludlow) and Lucas Reyes (played by Jake Ryan Lozano). Per Xbox Wire’s recap of the E-Day Direct, “the entire campaign can be played by any character from the start, with four-player online co-op and two-player split-screen on console.”
Solo, Xbox Wire’s August hands-on describes playing as Marcus while AI runs the rest of Bravo Squad and revives you when you go down. Co-op players take those seats instead.
The campaign is split into five Acts, going by the official achievement list, and one achievement is built for co-op: You’re My Brother (15 points) asks you to complete all Acts of the campaign on co-op, on any difficulty. Our how long to beat guide covers what a full run takes, and our achievement list has the rest.
Joining a Friend’s Campaign in Progress
You do not have to start the campaign together. The Coalition’s October 5 patch notes refer directly to “players joining an existing Campaign” and to “join-in-progress players,” and its pre-launch notes describe new players “joining a lobby working through an existing save.” In other words, a friend can drop into your save partway through an Act.
What the joiner gets changed at launch. Before the October 5 patch, a player joining an existing campaign could receive War Journal progress and Forge rewards that the host had earned before they joined; that patch addressed it, along with a case where join-in-progress players missed Forge Discovery progress they should have earned. Expect to get credit for what you play after you join, not for the host’s earlier chapters.
The October 14 patch went further. It fixed “an issue causing progress to not be tracked in Co-Op sessions,” along with “multiple issues causing parts of War Journal and Achievement progress not to track.” At the time, The Coalition said missing collectibles could not be automatically re-granted, though the game now shows which ones are missing so you can pick them up again, and missing Campaign rewards such as skins and titles can be earned again by starting a new campaign from a completed mission and replaying it. Its November 2 update then fixed missing War Journal entries and completed achievements, which The Coalition says are granted the next time you sign in, so sign in before you replay anything.
One tip for long co-op nights: The Coalition listed a known issue where “playing through the entire length of the game without reloading checkpoints or restarting may cause memory issues,” and advised reloading a checkpoint if you get blocked at an encounter or objective. The October 14 patch made “multiple memory improvements to address crashing and performance degradation during long play sessions” on PC, Xbox and handhelds, so update first; reloading a checkpoint is still the fallback if an encounter will not progress.
Co-op Rules: Difficulty, Pausing and Saves
The Coalition’s official accessibility guide settles three questions that trip up co-op groups:
- Everyone picks their own difficulty. In co-op, each player can choose their own difficulty independently, so a veteran can play on Insane while a friend picks an easier setting.
- Only the host can pause. Anyone else opening the menu does not stop the action.
- Five campaign save slots. The campaign holds up to five separate playthroughs, which The Coalition suggests for playing with different groups or on different difficulties.
The October 14 patch also fixed two co-op annoyances: executions interrupting revives, and canceled Ready-Up votes showing a “Players Out of Range” error.
The same guide describes a ping system: while aiming, you can ping enemies, objects or locations, and your squad sees the marker even through walls.
Split-Screen and Couch Co-op: Xbox Only
Two-player split-screen is confirmed for the campaign, and the official fine print on Xbox Wire’s launch post is blunt: “2-Player Split-Screen: is available for console only.” That means:
- Xbox Series X|S: two players, side by side, on one console. Microsoft’s wording says “console” without excluding Series S.
- PC (Steam or the Xbox app): no split-screen and no local co-op. PC players co-op online only.
- PS5: there is no PlayStation version at all, so there is no split-screen or co-op on PS5.
How to start split-screen. The Coalition has not published a button-by-button walkthrough, but its October 14 patch notes fixed “a splitscreen issue preventing a second player from being added while navigating the main menu,” which tells you where it happens:
- Turn on a second controller and sign it in to its own Xbox profile.
- On the main menu, add the second player as Player 2.
- Start or continue the campaign, and the screen splits for the two of you.
If Player 2 will not join, update the game first; that main menu bug is fixed in the October 14 patch.
The October 5 patch also fixed the “Bilefrog-Kalona” error, “where a split-screen player could be signed out after suspending and resuming the game,” so update before a couch session if you hit it.
The October 14 patch fixed four more split-screen bugs:
- Adding Player 2: a second player could not be added while navigating the main menu.
- Act Two, Chapter One: players could be unable to progress after disconnecting.
- Act Four, Chapter One: Player 2 could lose their screen after the cinematic.
- Supply Caches: players could lose control input after interacting with one.
If any of these ended a couch session early, update the game and try again.
Two points the official material still does not settle. First, whether a split-screen pair can join two more players online for a full squad of four, which Microsoft has not addressed. Second, whether split-screen extends to Horde Siege or Versus: Xbox’s product copy says you can “battle alone, side by side in two-player split-screen, or rally up to four players online across Campaign, Horde Siege, and Versus,” a sentence that can be read either way, while the xbox.com description mentions split-screen for the campaign only.
What You Need for Online Co-op
On Xbox, online play is behind a subscription. The fine print on the official game page says “Online campaign co-op, Horde Siege, Versus and other multiplayer features require a Game Pass subscription that includes online multiplayer,” and The Coalition’s open beta FAQ puts that at Game Pass Essential or higher. Game Pass Ultimate covers both the game and online play. Our PS5 and Game Pass guide compares every plan.
On PC, the picture is different. Microsoft’s own Game Pass page describes the subscription perk as “online console multiplayer,” and the Steam listing names no subscription for online play. The Coalition’s open beta FAQ also says an Xbox or Microsoft account is not required to play on Steam; you only need one to send a cross-platform squad invite. Steam’s fine print does carry Microsoft’s standard “Microsoft Account required” line, which our account guide explains.
To link an Xbox account on Steam, per the FAQ (our account linking guide covers it in more detail):
- From the main menu, open the social pane.
- Select the Link Account button in the upper-left corner of the screen.
- Follow the Microsoft sign-in flow.
If linking fails, The Coalition’s beta troubleshooting pointed Steam players to Microsoft’s Gaming Services Repair Tool and to making sure they were signed into the right gamertag in the Xbox app.
Crossplay Between Xbox, Xbox PC and Steam
The Steam store page spells out the cross-platform setup: optional account linking “lets you carry progress with roaming saves, connect with friends, and send cross-platform invites,” then “squad up in 2-4 player online co-op or jump into competitive multiplayer for up to 8 players across supported platforms.” Steam also lists Cross-Platform Multiplayer and Online Co-op among the game’s features.
If you buy on the Xbox store or the Xbox app instead, Xbox Play Anywhere lets one purchase play on both Xbox Series X|S and PC with shared progression and achievements. Our Steam and PC guide compares the two PC storefronts, and our editions guide covers which purchase includes what.
There is no crossplay with PlayStation, because there is no PS5 version. The Coalition has not published details on a crossplay toggle or input-based matchmaking.
Co-op Beyond the Campaign
Co-op is also the heart of E-Day’s multiplayer. Horde Siege, the reworked take on the series’ wave survival mode, drops you in as a four-player squad choosing between the Assault, Marksman, Medic and Breacher classes. Per Xbox Wire, it is a 12-player mode where three squads share a large city map, work on shared objectives and take on world bosses. The Coalition’s multiplayer overview lists three mission lengths: Blitz (about 15 to 20 minutes), Siege (20 to 40 minutes) and Horde, which holds you in one spot for 10 waves. Its achievements reward teamwork, such as Never Fight Alone for extracting with every squadmate alive on Allfather difficulty.
Versus is 4v4 PvP with Ranked and Social playlists, and Ranked opened on October 13; our Ranked guide explains placements and Rank Rating. If your group wants to team up against AI rather than other players, The Coalition says Social includes Player vs Bot playlists, and the Combat Training mode supports four-player co-op, a low-stakes way to learn the controls together. Our best controller settings guide is worth a look before that first session. What you cannot do yet is set up a private match: The Coalition says private lobbies, like leaderboards, were not possible for launch, though it calls them “not gone from the franchise.” Our multiplayer and Horde Siege guide covers both modes in depth.
If you are lining up a group, our release time guide covers every way to play, the Gears of War: E-Day guides hub collects every guide, and our best PC co-op games of 2026 list covers what else to play together.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players can play the Gears of War E-Day campaign together?
Up to four players online, each controlling a member of Bravo Squad. Two players can also play in split-screen on one Xbox console.
Can you join a friend’s campaign in progress?
Yes. The Coalition’s patch notes refer to players “joining an existing Campaign” and to “join-in-progress players.” The October 5 patch stopped joiners from receiving War Journal progress and Forge rewards the host earned before they joined.
Does co-op progress track properly now?
The Coalition’s October 14 patch fixed progress not being tracked in co-op sessions, along with War Journal and achievement progress. The November 2 update then fixed missing War Journal entries and completed achievements, granted the next time you sign in. If collectibles still show as missing after that, the game lists which ones so you can collect them again.
Did the October 14 patch fix split-screen bugs?
It fixed four: adding a second player from the main menu, a disconnect that blocked progress in Act Two, Chapter One, Player 2 losing their screen after a cinematic in Act Four, Chapter One, and lost controls after using a Supply Cache.
Does Gears of War E-Day have split-screen on PC?
No. Microsoft’s fine print says two-player split-screen is available on console only. PC players on Steam or the Xbox app co-op online.
Is Gears of War E-Day crossplay between Xbox and Steam?
Yes. The Steam listing confirms cross-platform co-op and multiplayer. Steam players link an Xbox account through the social pane to send cross-platform invites.
Is Gears of War E-Day on PS5 or crossplay with PlayStation?
No. E-Day is on Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox app on PC and Steam only, so there is no PlayStation crossplay.
Do I need Game Pass to play co-op online?
On Xbox, online co-op requires a Game Pass subscription with online multiplayer, which The Coalition puts at Essential or higher. Microsoft describes that perk as online console multiplayer, and The Coalition says Steam play does not need an Xbox account.
Can you play co-op against bots?
Yes. Horde Siege and the campaign are co-op against the Locust, Social Versus includes Player vs Bot playlists, and Combat Training supports four-player co-op.
Can each player choose their own difficulty in co-op?
Yes. Per The Coalition’s accessibility guide, each player in a co-op campaign can set their own difficulty independently.
Do you get the Insane achievements if a co-op partner plays on Normal?
The Coalition has not said how the Insane achievements read a mixed-difficulty group. Because each player sets their own difficulty, plan on earning them only on your own Insane setting: anyone chasing Today We Are Canceling the Apocalypse or For Whom The Bell Tolls should play the run on Insane themselves. Our achievement list has the full requirements.
Is co-op campaign progress saved for the other players?
Guests join the host’s save, per The Coalition’s notes on “joining a lobby working through an existing save.” What guests keep is account progress for what they play after joining: War Journal, achievements and Forge rewards, which the October 14 patch fixed for co-op sessions. The Coalition has not said whether a guest’s own campaign save advances, so the host’s save is the one that moves through the story.
Can you make your co-op squad private?
The Coalition has not documented a squad privacy setting, and its launch post says private lobbies were not possible for launch, though they are “not gone from the franchise.” Friends join through invites and the social pane.
How many acts does the Gears of War E-Day campaign have?
Five, going by the official achievement list, and the You’re My Brother achievement asks you to finish all of them in co-op.