Gears of War: E-Day Story Director Laid Off Just a Week Before Early Access Launch

Gears of War: E-Day's story director, Juan Vaca, has been laid off just one week before the game's early access launch. Microsoft is currently undergoing a significant reset of its Xbox brand, resulting in the loss of 268 staff members across multiple studios. Vaca, who had been with the company for four years, confirmed his dismissal after publicly celebrating the game going gold last week.

The launch of the game, scheduled for next week, will take place five days before its global release. The circumstances surrounding Vaca's layoff are particularly disappointing, as the news comes at a critical juncture for the game. Microsoft's plans for The Coalition post-Gears of War: E-Day's launch remain uncertain, raising concerns among fans.

This is not the only unusual layoff, as Halo Studios' cinematic director, Josh Daniels, was also let go just one day after a promotion. Halo Studios' future is now in the hands of Activision, which is taking charge of the franchise's future. While a small team will remain to support existing Halo games, a new team is being assembled under Activision to develop the next mainline game in the series.

Microsoft has yet to provide detailed information about Gears of War: E-Day's future, leaving many questions unanswered after years of speculation.