Gears of War: E-Day has finally launched on Xbox Series X|S and PC via early access for players who pre-ordered the Premium Edition.
While the rest of the world waits for its public release on October 6, 2026, players can look up whether Gears of War: E-Day is up their alley by checking the mountain of critic reviews now available online.
Sure enough, critics are absolutely adoring this epic prequel to the iconic Gears of War series, as it's scoring high ratings of 88 on Metacritic and 87 on OpenCritic.
Here's what some of the top reviews had to say about this new entry in Xbox's flagship shooter franchise.
Note that all these reviews only cover the single-player campaign, as the multiplayer modes were unavailable to test during the review period.
Gears of War: E-Day Reviews
IGN (9/10): "E-Day pulls off the tightrope act of giving us a heartfelt prequel with strong characters even when we know how it ends. On a more mechanical level, it also evolves the enemies, weapons, and combat you’d expect to deliver a Gears of War campaign that stands toe-to-toe with any of the others."
GameSpot (7/10):"For better or worse, E-Day is distinctly Gears, and I had a good time with it, even if the story is disappointing and the open areas are fairly dull. But that’s all it is: a good game, propped up by combat that hasn’t changed all that much over the past 20 years. That’s enough to skate by, but I wish Gears of War would dig deeper."
VGC (4/5):"Gears of War E-Day's campaign offers balls-to-the-wall action and rarely lets up, but that means the story takes more of a back seat than I'd like. It's good that time is given to the backstories of new protagonists Mags and Lucas, but given that the game is literally the playable Marcus and Dom backstory fans have been waiting decades to see, more time could have been spent on their relationship. In terms of pure gunplay, however, very little beats it this year."
GamingBolt (9/10): "It stumbles sometimes with its story, but thanks to new and improved movement mechanics, Gears of War: E-Day ends up delivering some of the tightest combat and one of the series’ most excellently paced campaigns in a long, long time."
Voxel (90/100):"Gears of War: E-Day hits the mark by getting the basics right: embracing its identity as a Gears of War game and elevating the strengths inherent to the series. The game doesn't revolutionize the genre, but it delivers a fun gameplay experience featuring a cinematic narrative and local multiplayer support."
Gears of War: E-Day returns to the series' roots while having some odd, out-of-place open-world elements.
Marcus Fenix meets a Locust Drone for the first time. (Image credit: Microsoft)
Overall, it seems the general sentiment around Gears of War: E-Day is that it doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, but returns to the series' roots with a solid, harrowing war story while refining the core gameplay loop that made Gears of War the household name it is today to great effect.
However, our own Jez Corden was more critical in his review-in-progress article on Gears of War: E-Day. While Jez praised the game's gorgeous visuals, stunning performance, and solid gunplay, he felt like let down by the game's poorly designed open-world-lite elements that break the game's pacing and uninteresting, damage-spongy boss fights.
The real make-or-break point for Gears of War: E-Day, to me, will be its PvP Versus Modes and its much-anticipated PvE Horde Siege mode, where you will be pitted against dozens of Locust enemies and boss monsters at once with 12 players.
If The Coalition can nail the gameplay of its multiplayer modes and its post-launch content, people will be sticking around for Gears of War: E-Day long after they beat the campaign. I know I'll be playing Gears of War: E-Day's Horde Siege mode over Grand Theft Auto 6 any day.
Relive the tragic day that started the long, grueling war between the COGs and the Locust horde in the highly anticipated prequel of the Gears of War franchise, Gears of War: E-Day.
Still, to celebrate this momentous occasion, Gears of War: E-Day's developers, The Coalition, have released an extensive blog post detailing their plans for updating the game's multiplayer content, balance changes, and more.
Here's what you can expect from Gears of War: E-Day's post-launch updates.
Gears of War: E-Day Season 1
Check out Season 1 details, updates from the Beta and what's coming next.Read More: https://t.co/vaBCRztAQs pic.twitter.com/95eGqiIalXSeptember 30, 2026
First off, The Coalition states that Season 1 of Gears of War: E-Day's multiplayer content, titled Season 1: Emergence, will be running from today all the way up to December 1, 2026.
Season 1 will include all the game's launch maps, games, cosmetics, and three limited-time events called Halloween, 20 Years of Gears, and Thanksgibbing. Each event will last for two weeks and will feature a Versus Event mode, a Horde Siege Event mission, and exclusive, limited-time rewards.
Additionally, Season 1 will include:
Ranked: Versus Ranked will officially launch one week after launch on October 13, giving players crucial time to get up-to-speed with all our maps, modes and sandbox before jumping into competitive.
Weekly Challenges: The weekly challenges Premium Edition owners receive on October 1 are the same challenges all players will receive at launch on October 6, weekly challenges will then refresh on October 13.
Shop: Shop offers will rotate every Tuesday. Be sure to check every week for free featured gifts.
Never Fight Alone Charity Bundle: 100% of net revenue of the Never Fight Alone Year 5 bundle, which includes an exclusive skin and weapon skin set, and the Never Fight Alone Legacy set, goes to our partner Crisis Text Line in our mission to prevent suicide.
Promotional Items: Cosmetic items available exclusively through limited time partnerships will become available in the Barracks for Coins and Iron after the partnership exclusivity term lapses.
Gears of War: Reloaded Rewards: To celebrate the release of the original Gears of War 20 years ago, we’re offering exclusive rewards to commemorate players’ engagement with Gears of War: Reloaded.
Fire and Fenix Pose: Complete the “Prison Breakout” XBOX Achievement in Gears of War: Reloaded.
Old Guard Medal & “Locked n’ Reloaded” Title: Complete the “Re-Up” XBOX Achievement in Gears of War: Reloaded.
Gears of War: E-Day Season 2 and beyond
Corpsers are back and meaner than ever. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
Season 2: Legacy will begin at a later date after Season 1 and will feature content themed around the Gears of War franchise's 20th anniversary. The Coalition has also prepared a birthday gift for players to open on November 7, the day when the original Gears of War launched two decades ago.
Additionally, The Coalition has announced that Season 2 will include a Dead Serious Achievement. Any players who obtain it will be rewarded with exclusive cosmetics like a Medal, a Player Title, a Banner, an Emblem, an Icon, and a Legendary Character skin.
Lastly, Gears of War: E-Day has been confirmed to receive at least five post-launch seasons. The names of future seasons after Season 2 are:
Season 3: Infiltration
Season 4: Pendulum
Season 5: Devotion
Gears of War: E-Day Multiplayer Balance changes
Marcus holding the iconic Chainsaw Lancer for the first time. (Image credit: Microsoft)
Moving on from seasonal content, The Coalition then lays out its plan for updating Gears of War: E-Day's gameplay based on feedback from the multiplayer betas.
Their first move is to change the Gnasher, Gears of War's iconic shotgun that is regarded as one of the best weapons to use in PvP and PvE content throughout the whole franchise.
The developers noticed that during Gears 2 to 5, firing the Gnasher from the hip has often resulted in some shots missing when they clearly should've hit the target. So, The Coalition has decided to finally fix that by introducing a new hybrid muzzle and camera-oriented shooting mechanic.
This means that when you fire the Gnasher, the game will check both the camera and muzzle shots and apply whichever angle is better suited for the shot, which should (hopefully) result in more accurate hits.
BOOM. (Image credit: Microsoft)
Next up, The Coalition states that iconic gameplay features from past Gears of War titles, like Meat Shields, Chainsaw Duels, select fan-favorite weapons, Private Lobbies, and Leaderboards, are being considered to be added to Gears of War: E-Day in post-launch updates or the next game.
Right now, the developers are focusing on making sure Gears of War: E-Day has the most stable launch experience possible.
Finally, The Coalition has laid out a series of patch notes for Gears of War: E-Day's early access launch, which include bug fixes, balance adjustments, Quality-of-life improvements, and more:
Click here to expand the full list ↴
Tuning:
Weapon Tuning:
Adjusted Prototype Lancer damage to a value in-between Beta weekend 1 and 2
Reduced Lancer Mk1 damage
Reduced Vulcan damage
Increased Hammerburst damage
Increased damage of the Gnasher while ADS at range
Improved Gnasher hipfire consistency
Reduced rate of fire for the Snub
Reduced the Gut-Puncher spare ammo amount
Movement & Cover Tuning:
Improved strafe movement responsiveness
Adjustments to cover enter speed and distance of cover-enter cancel
Reduced Cover Slip speed
Reduced Slide distance
Horde Siege Tuning:
Adjustment of brightness and opacity of Energy icons
Adjusted the difficulty of Repair objectives
Decreased the health threshold at which a Boomer, Flayer, or Grinder can be executed with a Prototype Lancer
Reduced Weapon Part Rewards for participation in invasions
Reduced Weapon Part Rewards for Weapon Part Stockpiles
Increased the difficulty of all Invasions
Increased the difficulty of Commander and Allfather difficulties
Adjusted the Medic’s stim duration
Increased equipment costs
Reduced the impact of some Squad Perks
Increased the Energy cost of Squad Perks
Versus Tuning:
Reduced the wave respawn time
Reduced frequency of trading to feel more fair and consistent
Adjusted Scoring in Demolition
Adjusted Scoring in Crucible
Bug Fixes:
Across PC, XBOX and handhelds, we made numerous improvements to stability, performance and optimization across applicable hardware configurations
On PC, we addressed a bug causing graphics settings to reset between launches
Made adjustments to prevent macro abuse of semi-automatic weapons
On PC, we addressed an issue causing missing VFX on explosions when set to Low quality settings
On “Legacy” control settings, fixed an issue causing an inconsistent Sprint release delay
On PC, fixed an issue causing additional input delay when playing on mouse and keyboard
On PC, fixed an issue causing mouse & keyboard lighting effects to not display properly
In Horde Siege, fixed an issue causing Tickers not to be properly flung when kicked
In Horde Siege, fixed an issue causing blast charges delivered during the Corpser Invasion Event to not register
Fixed an issue allowing players to shoot enemies not in front of their barrel when aiming down sights
Fixed an issue causing versus ranked or social players to get stuck at the “Waiting for Other Players” screen
Fixed an issue causing destructible assets to ‘stick’ to players
Fixed an issue where Marksman UAV visual effect might persist
Improved the reliability of starting objectives in Horde Siege
Improved the reliability of switching which squadmate you are spectating when cog tagged in Horde Siege
Fixed an issue where Tickers were immune to Gorehooks
Fixed an issue allowing more than four squad members in Versus
Fixed an issue where abandoned turrets could not be interacted with
Fixed visual issues with ranking up from Onyx 3
Fixed an issue where boss health bars and locators could scale incorrectly
Fixed multiple issues where specific enemies may not be able to path at certain objectives
Fixed multiple issues that would prevent objectives from completing in Horde Siege
Fixed multiple inconsistencies and interaction errors in the Horde Siege lobby and Barracks
Fixed multiple scoring inconsistencies and errors
Fixed multiple matchmaking errors and timeouts
Fixed an issue where Mortar strike vfx could appear without cause
Fixed an issue where TDM matches would end too early
QoL & Feedback:
On all platforms, we added an FOV slider
On all platforms, we improved HDR calibration, made UI paper-white adjustment independent
On all platforms, we added the ability to disable Chromatic Aberration
On all platforms, we added the ability to disable Film Grain
On PC, Max FPS can be set to 30, 60, 90, 120, 144, 240, or Unlimited
On PC, setting Max FPS to “Unlimited” will not cap your framerate
On PC, multi frame generation is now optionally supported
On PC, we added a setting to allow players to enable or disable Lamp device support for mouse and keyboard lighting
On XBOX, “The Lucky Ones Died on E-Day” achievement has been removed in order to support the upcoming Mythic Achievements feature. Players will still earn the “I AM A GEAR” Player Title upon completing all other achievements and the achievement remains on Steam
In multiplayer, adjusted Player XP to better align the rate of progression across Horde Siege and Versus
Made improvement to Backfill AI bot behavior
Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD):
On PC, Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD) is a new feature that significantly reduces the time spent compiling shaders across different PC hardware configurations. It benefits Gears of War: E-Day and other supported games across the Xbox PC app
For launch, ASD will be supported on AMD hardware, with NVIDIA support coming later in October
Playing E-Day outside the Xbox PC app? You may still benefit from ASD if the Xbox PC app is installed on your Windows 11 PC, allowing the required shaders to be pre-installed
LAUNCH KNOWN ISSUES:
Playing through the entire length of the game without reloading checkpoints or restarting may cause memory issues. Please reload a checkpoint if you get blocked at an encounter or objective
Performance Overlay in Benchmark mode does not include generated frames, and can report a lower than accurate FPS
Game process may continue to run after closing, can be viewed and shut down from task manager
New clients joining a lobby working through an existing save will receive all prior secondary objective and hardcase progress in the War Journal and all relevant Forge rewards
On PC, offline play is unavailable until October 6
Are you ready for Gears of War: E-Day?
If you're a fan of Gears of War or third-person shooters, then you won't want to miss out on Gears of War: E-Day when it leaves early access and launches for the general public on October 6, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S and PC.
It's turning out to be one of the best games in the series just from the campaign alone, and judging from these long-term plans for its exciting multiplayer modes, Gears of War: E-Day is going to satiate your craving for video game violence for a long time.
Relive the tragic day that started the long, grueling war between the COGs and the Locust horde in the highly anticipated prequel of the Gears of War franchise, Gears of War: E-Day.
Unfortunately, while everyone was too excited to replay the classic RPG, trouble was brewing for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, especially on PC.
Players have started noticing massive technical problems, including game-breaking glitches, DLSS not functioning with Xbox Play Anywhere on PC, not being able to save their game progress, and more.
CD Projekt Red has been made aware of this situation and has just rolled out a quick hotfix for the Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC versions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered to address some of these issues.
📜 Witchers!We've just released an update for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and the PC Xbox Play Anywhere version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered. You can see what's changed below:- Fixed an issue where DLSS was unavailable in the Xbox Play Anywhere version of… pic.twitter.com/xCNbiStzeMOctober 1, 2026
According to CD Projekt Red, this hotfix titled 'Patch 5.00b' has made the following changes:
Fixed an issue where DLSS was unavailable in the Xbox Play Anywhere version of the game on PC.
Made various lighting adjustments, including fixing some interiors that appeared too dark.
Made various other adjustments to ensure parity with the PC version.
Additionally, CD Projekt Red is planning to add a hotfix to address the issue that's preventing people from saving their game files. If you have encountered any glitches or technical issues while playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, you can submit them to CD Projekt Red's Technical Support portal, and they'll work to fix them.
Casual reminder to never buy AAA games at launch before hotfixes settle in
Now, I like CD Projekt Red's games, but there's one uncomfortable fact I've come to accept about them: they've repeatedly been riddled with game-breaking bugs and issues at launch.
Cyberpunk 2077's infamous 2020 launch is the one most people remember, but I recall when I first tried The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt back in the 2010s on the Xbox One and got frustrated with non-stop crashes and glitches that wouldn't be addressed until the Hearts of Stone expansion came out.
Thankfully, CD Projekt Red isn't sitting idly by to fix the issues in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, so we won't have to wait long before this exceptional remaster is playable at its very best, before the Songs of the Past expansion releases in 2027.
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Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV, the long-awaited sequel to Warhammer 40,000's beloved real-time strategy series, has released a new trailer to whet players' appetites before its December 3, 2026 release on PC.
This cinematic showcases an epic battle between two playable factions of the game: the superhuman Space Marines and the mechanical, alien horrors known as Necrons.
Space Marines come in a variety of different armies called Chapters, and the one you play as in this game is the Blood Ravens, the mascots of the Dawn of War series.
In this trailer, the Blood Ravens, despite being genetically engineered super soldiers, are getting annihilated by the Necrons' never-ending armies of undying robot monsters and advanced technology.
Then, when all hope seemed lost, the Blood Ravens get rescued by the Dark Angels, an iconic Space Marine chapter from the tabletop version of Warhammer 40,000, who are heavily themed after medieval knights.
The Dark Angels will be a playable sub-faction of the Space Marine with their unique units, strategies, and heroes separate from the Blood Ravens, including the video game debut of Lion El'Jonson, the Primarch of the Dark Angels.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV continues to march towards its release date
As a longtime fan of Warhammer, I have a special place in my heart for the Blood Ravens Chapter, as they were the first Space Marines I ever met when I played the original Dawn of War back in the early 2000s, so I can't wait to play as them again.
As for the Dark Angels, I will admit I'm not quite as familiar with these guys other than their knightly aesthetics, their obsession with interrogations and paranoia, and being playable in 2016's Space Hulk: Deathwing game.
So it will be interesting getting to know them as I play through the story campaign and see how they get along with the Blood Ravens.
But what about you? Are you excited to play as the Space Marines in Dawn of War IV, or are you planning to play one of the factions like the Orks, Necrons, or Adeptus Mechanicus?
If you have any thoughts on the matter, let us know in the comments section, poll, or on our Reddit page.
Take control of the Space Marines, Orks, Necrons, or Adeptus Mechanicus factions and wage a bloody war for domination in epic single-player campaigns or chaotic multiplayer modes in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV.View Deal
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For many years, people have wondered what it would be like if World of Warcraft, one of the most iconic MMORPGs in history, became playable on both PC and home consoles, like its biggest rival, Final Fantasy XIV.
Recently, those pipe dreams may have the potential to come true if the latest rumors surrounding the upcoming World of Warcraft: Forever turn out to be true.
On September 29, 2026, Reddit user 'Rychillie' discovered that on the website for Brazil's Ministry of Justice, it stated that World of Warcraft: Forever was being classified for use on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac.
However, another Redditor 'birizinho' in the comments did a quick check on the gov.br listing and discovered that these console classifications had been quickly taken down within a few hours.
Could WoW finally be coming to consoles?
Now, as with any rumor, this should be taken with a huge grain of salt. This is especially apparent considering this console classification list for World of Warcraft: Forever has the PlayStation 3 on it, a console that Sony is trying to kill off by closing down the PS3/PSVita PSN store and discontinuing future physical PlayStation games.
Plus, since World of Warcraft: Forever has only been confirmed for PC, it is 99% likely this was just a typing mistake on the Brazilian Ministry of Justice website's part.
However, there is a very unlikely chance that a console port of World of Warcraft: Forever could become real sometime in the far distant future, as this game features full Xbox controller support.
Personally, even if any version of World of Warcraft came to consoles, I'd stick with playing it on PC with my dedicated MMO mouse and keyboard combo, as that control scheme feels the most natural way for me to play MMORPGs.
I can't imagine how cumbersome it would be to target players and mobs during hardcore raid dungeons and boss fights, especially for healer classes.
But then again, if players are able to clear the hardest Raid content in Final Fantasy XIV (that being Ultimate Raids) using controllers, then I'm guessing the same could be possible for World of Warcraft players using controllers, provided they get enough practice and set up the right keybinds and macros.
Relive the early days of World of Warcraft, reimagined with improved graphics, new class+race combos, thousands of new quests, and the new Skyborne race in World of Warcraft: Forever.
Now the general public will get to test this feature for themselves, as yesterday, September 29, 2026, Microsoft rolled out the Xbox Disc-to-Digital feature for all players to use on Xbox Series X|S.
Your discs just got a digital upgrade today! 💿Now, all players can experience the benefits of digital with most XBOX Series X and XBOX One physical discs: https://t.co/TuUdSr7Or8 pic.twitter.com/IVgrV2NY4vSeptember 29, 2026
For those who need a refresher, the Xbox Disc-to-Digital program takes an Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One disc and creates a digital license for it as if it were bought on the digital Xbox Storefront.
Once the digital license is made, you can install and play a game without needing the disc inside the Xbox Series X|S.
What's more, the digital license will allow you to play the game on any platform within the Xbox ecosystem, stream it via Xbox Cloud Gaming, or even play it on compatible handhelds like the Xbox Ally with Xbox Play Anywhere support.
Do note that if you sell an Xbox game disc or lend it to someone else, they will claim the digital license for that game after installing it. Your digital rights for that game will be revoked until you get the disc back or re-buy it.
Also, not every Xbox game is eligible for this Xbox Disc-To-Digital program. However, Microsoft has stated on its website that this may change over time due to "technical, licensing, publishing, manufacturing, and other factors."
Will Xbox's Disc-to-Digital improve game preservation?
With that said, I see some potential within this Xbox Disc-to-Digital feature when it comes to helping improve digital game preservation and ownership.
Deadpool is the first delisted game to grant me a digital license from the physical disc. Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark did not. pic.twitter.com/bMMc5SkXWeAugust 31, 2026
For example, games that have been delisted years ago from the Xbox Digital Store, like Deadpool, Transformers: Devastation, and Minecraft: Story Mode, have become playable digitally again thanks to this program, so long as you have their physical disc copies.
Personally, if this program means I can play Transformers: War for Cybertron and Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (two of my most requested Xbox backwards-compatible titles) again on modern Xbox consoles, then I hope this Xbox Disc-to-Digital ends up being successful and that Microsoft will support it for years to come, and possibly carry it over to whatever Project Helix ends up being.
But what do you think of the Xbox Disc-to-Digital program? Do you think it will help improve digital game preservation and ownership? Are there any Xbox games you want to see added to this program?
If you have any thoughts on the matter, let us know on our Reddit page, in the comments section, or in the poll.
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It's official. Mythic Achievements are HERE. 🏆✨Celebrate your gaming accomplishments, view your progress, and track your next milestones in a whole new way with our brand new features: https://t.co/bAjQLW1khxSeptember 29, 2026
For those unaware, Mythic Achievements are a new special kind of Xbox Achievement rewarded to players who manage to obtain every single regular Xbox Achievement in an Xbox game.
It's worth noting that Achievements added through an Xbox game's paid DLC or free updates aren't required for the Mythic Achievement, only the base game's achievements. Once you gain a Mythic Achievement, it's yours to keep forever.
What's cool is that these Mythic Achievements don't just apply to current Xbox Series X|S titles; they apply to all eligible Xbox games from multiple console generations, including the Xbox 360.
To help players keep track of Mythic Achievements, a new Gaming Tab has been added to their Xbox profile.
Within it, Xbox players can see their Achievements, track Gamerscore milestone badge progress, revisit past games they've completed, and visit their friends' Gaming tabs to compare their Mythic Achievement collections.
Additionally, a new progress bar has been added to each game's Achievement list to show how close a player is to obtaining a Mythic Achievement, with an option to focus on Achievements required to obtain it.
Get out there and grab those Xbox Mythic Achievements
Xbox Mythic Achievement obtained (Image credit: Microsoft)
Now, while I've personally never been interested in Xbox Achievement hunting, I know plenty of my friends have wanted Xbox Mythic Achievements ever since the late 2000s.
It's a great way to challenge Xbox completionists, show how much they love particular Xbox games, and provide bragging rights for players to impress their friends online.
But what do you think? Are you happy Xbox Mythic Achievements are finally happening? Are there any Xbox games you've 100% completed in the past that have now retroactively granted you Mythic Status?
If you have any thoughts on the matter, let us know on our Reddit page, in the comments section, or in the poll.
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Amazon Prime's Big Deal Days event is just a week away, starting on October 7, 2026. However, Amazon's competition isn't waiting to host enticing counter deals for it by then, as some early competitor deals are already cropping up.
One such deal is this 44% discount for the Dell 14S laptop, which has taken its steep $1,599.99 listing price down to a more affordable $899.99 at Best Buy.
"The Dell 14S is a compelling choice for a variety of users thanks to its long-lasting battery life (and) relatively affordable price." ~ Sean Riley, Freelance Writer, Tom's Guide
The Dell 14S laptop boasts a wide variety of tech that makes it a more-than-competent productivity companion for students and desk jockeys alike.
This configuration of the Dell 14S laptop features an Intel Core Ultra 7 355 CPU with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. These enable it to run web browsers with multiple tabs open, edit photos in Photoshop, and even play 4K YouTube videos in the background, all at once without a significant drop in performance.
Additionally, it features a 14-inch 2K LED screen to display images and videos with sharp details and vibrant color gamuts, a premium-quality build to protect its vital components, a comfortable-to-use keyboard with a trackpad, and a powerful battery life that will last you over 20 hours before needing to recharge.
Finally, the Dell 14S is a Copilot+ PC (a name that's starting to disappear) with an NPU capable of 49 trillion operations per second (TOPS). This means that it can operate AI-empowered programs like Cocreator or Recall with ease, and use AI search engines to help you research information more quickly online.
So, if you're looking for a straightforward laptop that's purely focused on powering through light workflow tasks at school or work all day without a break, you can't go wrong with the Dell 14S.
Dell 14S's discounted $899.99 price tag at Best Buy is certainly cheaper right now than its more powerful yet more expensive Dell XPS 14 counterpart, which usually runs for a retail price of $2,249.99 at Dell.
Is it good for gaming?
The Dell 14S is capable of running light 2D games, but it is not designed for intensive 3D AAA video due to having a limited integrated Intel graphics, instead of a dedicated gaming GPU.
Can I replace its RAM or SSD?
You can't replace the Dell 14S's 16GB (LPDDR5X) RAM, as it's soldered in place. You can replace its 512GB SSD with a larger one (like a 1TB or 2TB SSD) via its M.2 solid-state drive slot.
Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.
But how does it fare compared to the first game, and is it worth your time and money? Here's what some of the most popular review sites had to say about Minecraft Dungeons 2:
Minecraft Dungeons 2 Reviews
IGN (6/10):"Minecraft Dungeons is a beautiful and fun dungeon crawler with a simple but tried-and-true set of systems in place. It plays it extremely safe, though, without bringing anything mining or crafting spins to the genre to accompany Minecraft’s signature look and feel. Still, it's just so damn charming, and so fun, it's hard to fault it for going the safe route. With tons of loot, secret areas to uncover, and progressively more aggressive difficulty levels to unlock, Minecraft Dungeons has a fair amount of replayability beyond its relatively short six to eight-hour story mode. But who plays Minecraft for the story, anyway?"
Destructoid (9/10):"A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage. Expanding and improving on the original game in most conceivable ways, Minecraft Dungeons 2 is an excellent advancement in this ARPG spin-off for one of gaming's most beloved and iconic franchises."
Gamespot (7/10): "Where Minecraft Dungeons was a charming introduction to the dungeon-crawler genre, Dungeons 2 builds a deeper action-RPG within the same familiar, blocky framework. While it doesn’t completely escape the limitations of its predecessor, Minecraft Dungeons 2 is a more ambitious sequel that finally gives its loot, builds, and world the depth that was missing, even if a few rough edges remain."
Gamesradar+ (7/10): "Minecraft Dungeons 2 scores zero points for originality and feels very much like its predecessor, but when you're trying to perfect a formula, it's not the time to add wild new ingredients. The result is a polished and enjoyable dungeon crawler that children and adults alike can enjoy whether solo, online, or next to each other on the couch."
Gameinformer (7.3/10): "Minecraft Dungeons II proves this spin-off franchise can stand on its own and improve with subsequent entries at a time when Xbox is refocusing on its biggest IP. There’s plenty of room to expand, improve, and let me reach that endgame feeling of satisfaction much sooner, though. Right now, Minecraft Dungeons II is simply a straightforward, entry-level action-RPG."
More of the same dungeoneering, but better Minecrafted
The consensus of Minecraft Dungeons 2 seems to be that it doesn't try to reinvent the ARPG genre, but rather refines the elements that players and critics enjoyed in the first Minecraft Dungeons (which we gave a 4.5/5 review score many years ago).
Character-build variety is more diverse, combat and traversal feel more in-depth and nicer to control, there's a wider interconnected world to explore, and plenty of post-game activities to keep players busy for a while after the credits roll.
Some critics noted that Minecraft Dungeons 2's gameplay can get repetitive after a while. Plus, it has a bloat problem regarding the amount of loot you can obtain, and there are a fair number of bugs that force players to reset the game in order to progress.
Either way, it appears that Minecraft Dungeons 2 sounds like a fun weekend romp for the whole family and a decent entry-level ARPG to introduce young kids to the genre before moving them up to more intimidating titles like Diablo or Path of Exile.
The ARPG spin-off series of Minecraft is back with Minecraft Dungeons 2. It has new enemies to slay across the Overworld, more loot to plunder and power-up yourself with, and new adventures to be had solo or in 4-player co-op.
However, there is one caveat Xbox players must be aware of before buying it on October 6 (or October 1, if they've secured early access via pre-ordering the game), and that is its required install space of 115GB (as confirmed on its Steam page).
That’s about one-tenth of a standard Xbox Series X’s 1TB storage space, and that’s just for the base game alone without any DLC. Plus, the developers plan (confirmed by GameSpot) to update Gears of War: E-Day’s Horde Mode with new classes, missions, modifiers, and seasonal content, along with adding other in-game items like gun cosmetics and character skins, so that 115GB install requirement is going to bloat fast.
So, we have sought out the best Xbox Series X|S storage expansion devices, from external SSDs to plug-and-play SSD cards, to help you fit in Gears of War: E-Day while having tons to spare for its post-launch updates and other awesome Xbox Series X|S titles for your Xbox.
One of the more affordable and available options is external hard drives, which can offer tons of storage space ranging from 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, and even 4TB. In addition, they can be formatted to store all kinds of media, not just Xbox games, depending on what platform you intend to use it for.
The drawback is that you can’t play Xbox games directly from an external hard drive, you have to manually transfer them from the hard drive onto your Xbox’s internal hard drive if you wish to play them.
“The Samsung T7 portable SSD is every bit as good as the T7 Touch but at a lower price. It makes it a brilliant all-purpose portable SSD that can be used for both computers and the latest Xbox consoles.” ~ Richard Devine, Managing Editor, Windows Central
“Western Digital's P40 Game Drive SSD is a stellar external storage upgrade for Xbox Series X|S consoles, and is even better on PC with RGB customization and faster speeds. If you're only getting this for Xbox, though, there may be more affordable options.” ~ Zachary Boddy, former Staff Writer, Windows Central
“If you specifically need a super portable external SSD for playing your classic Xbox games and storing Series X|S games, then the Samsung T5 EVO is a fantastic pick. It has a slim form factor that can easily fit in your pocket or in a bag. Plus, it's drop-resistant to better withstand jostling on the go.” ~ Rebecca Spear, former gaming staff writer, Windows Central
Plug & Play expansion cards are scarcer and more expensive, but more convenient Xbox storage expansion units compared to external hard drives.
They fit easily into an Xbox’s dedicated expansion card slot, so they don’t take up desk space, and they let players play games installed on the cards directly without needing to shuffle them into the Xbox’s internal SSD, saving you from tedious file management.
However, you can’t reformat these Plug & Play Xbox expansion cards for other devices, as they were purely designed for Xbox consoles.
The SanDisk Optimus GX C50 is the newest Xbox storage Expansion Card line on the block.
It comes in multiple storage models from 512GB to 2TB, with low-latency performance that matches Xbox Velocity Architecture, so games can be played directly from it. Plus, it’s compatible with Xbox’s Quick Resume feature, so players can swap between multiple games without losing progress.
Plus, it has a free one-month trial membership for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.View Deal
“Western Digital's long-awaited competitor to the exorbitant Seagate Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S is functionally and practically great, and it has lowered prices.” ~ Zachary Boddy, former Staff Writer, Windows Central
"Microsoft and Seagate partnered up on a slick memory card-style SSD expansion for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, filling demand where standard hard drives simply don't cut it.” Matt Brown, former Staff Writer, Windows Central
Should I wait for Big Deal Days/Black Friday before buying these expansion devices?
If you don’t mind waiting for discounts, it may be wise to wait until these external hard drives and plug-and-play cards go on sale, as many of them have retail prices that cost hundreds of dollars as of this writing.
However, the RAM crisis is stirring extreme levels of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) behavior in consumers, driving them to buy popular Seagate and WD_Black Xbox expansion cards online until they run out of stock, even at full price.
With this in mind, it may also be a risky but good idea to grab one of these devices quickly because they may sell out before they even get a chance to be discounted during sales events like Amazon's Big Deal Days in October or Black Friday in November.
Are you ready for Gears of War: E-Day?
And there you have all the best options to upgrade your Xbox’s Storage size in time for Gears of War: E-Day. Are you looking forward to playing Gears of War: E-Day? Will you be sticking around to play its Horde Siege mode months after launch to see its post-game updates?
If you have any thoughts on the matter, please send them to the comments section below, or our Discord, Reddit, or cast a vote in the poll above.
Gears of War: E-Day is scheduled to launch on Xbox Series X|S (with Xbox Play Anywhere support), Xbox Game Pass, and PC via Windows and Steam on October 1, 2026, for early-access players who pre-ordered the game, and then October 6, 2026, for everyone else.
Relive the tragic day that started the long, grueling war between the COGs and the Locust horde in the highly anticipated prequel of the Gears of War franchise, Gears of War: E-Day.
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