Gears of War: E Day story director Juan Vaca has confirmed that he was affected by Microsoft's latest round of Xbox layoffs, with his role eliminated only days before the game's scheduled release.
Vaca announced the news in a LinkedIn post, saying he is now looking for new opportunities across games, film and television.
His departure is part of a broader round of 268 job cuts across Xbox teams.
Juan Vaca confirms his role was eliminated
Vaca said he was included in the latest Microsoft layoffs and is now seeking directing and storytelling positions.
The timing is notable because Gears of War: E Day is due to launch on October 6 for PC and Xbox Series X and S.
The Coalition, which developed the game, was not specifically named among the studios being consolidated into larger teams as part of the wider Xbox restructuring.
Vaca joins other employees affected by the cuts, including Halo: Campaign Evolved cinematics director Josh Daniels.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Employee affected | Juan Vaca |
| Role | Story Director |
| Game | Gears of War: E Day |
| Wider Xbox cuts | 268 roles |
| Release date | October 6, 2026 |
| Premium Edition early access | October 1 |
| Preload date | September 29 |
| Platforms | PC, Xbox Series X and S |
| Game Pass | Day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass |
The layoffs arrive at a particularly sensitive time for The Coalition because development on Gears of War: E Day has already reached an important milestone.
Gears of War E Day has gone gold
The Coalition recently confirmed that Gears of War: E Day has gone gold, meaning the main release build has been completed ahead of launch.
Studio head Mike Crump thanked the people who worked on the project as well as the Gears community for its support and feedback.
Preloading begins on September 29.
Players who purchase the Premium Edition can begin playing on October 1, while the standard launch follows on October 6.
The game will also be available through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass from release day.
Campaign will contain five acts
The Coalition has also revealed the game's full Achievement list.
While the list reportedly avoids major story spoilers, it confirms that the campaign is divided into five acts.
Achievements will cover campaign progression, optional objectives and additional modes such as Horde Siege.
Gears of War: E Day is a prequel set before the other major entries in the series.
The story follows Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago during Emergence Day, the event that marks the beginning of humanity's conflict with the Locust.
The Coalition is returning to the series' original foundations
Creative director Matt Searcy has previously said the development team wants the new game to remain closely connected to what defines Gears.
The project has therefore been built around many of the same design pillars associated with the original Xbox 360 trilogy.
Visual fidelity remains one of those priorities.
Brand director Nicole Fawcette has said The Coalition wants to push modern console and PC hardware while retaining the visual identity associated with the series.
The game's multiplayer has also received an early test through a closed beta.
That beta reportedly passed 20,000 concurrent players on Steam, giving the studio an early look at interest in the multiplayer portion before launch.
Layoffs add uncertainty around Xbox studios
Vaca's departure adds another senior creative name to the list of employees affected by Microsoft's latest Xbox restructuring.
The cuts are occurring alongside broader organizational changes across Xbox Game Studios, although The Coalition has not been identified as one of the teams being absorbed into another studio.
Gears of War: E Day itself remains on schedule.
With the game already gold, preloads beginning September 29 and launch set for October 6, the immediate release plan does not appear to have changed.
The situation nevertheless highlights how Microsoft's latest layoffs are affecting staff even on projects that are days away from reaching players.
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