Xbox's Gears of War: E-Day Limited Edition controller ships a week before the game
Gears of War: E-Day arrives October 6, and Xbox isn't waiting until launch day to sell you on it. The company has announced a Limited Edition wireless controller priced at $89.99 in the US and £84.99 in the UK, with pre-orders open now and units shipping September 30 — one full week before the game drops.
The look
The design leans hard into the franchise's brutalist aesthetic. A 3D-molded, laser-etched cracked-asphalt texture covers the body, with glowing red fissures that reveal the Crimson Omen — the COG Coalition's skull symbol — at the center. The ABXY buttons are blacked out; the X button and D-pad are transparent red; the triggers match in red. A dark silver COG tag sits on the battery door. It's one of the more cohesive limited-edition controller designs Xbox has put out in recent years.
The Limited Edition controller features laser-etched cracked asphalt with glowing red fissures and the Crimson Omen symbol.
At $89.99, the controller sits roughly $25 above the standard Xbox wireless controller. The UK price of £84.99 works out slightly cheaper relative to the dollar equivalent, which is fairly typical for Microsoft's regional pricing.
The Design Lab alternative
Stock on the Limited Edition will be finite, and Xbox has a fallback ready. A new Design Lab scheme launches September 30, featuring exclusive artwork by Luke Preece — a UK-based heavy metal illustrator whose clients include Metallica, Slipknot, and Ozzy Osbourne. The artwork puts a skull over crossed Lancers, surrounded by additional skulls. It's a customization option for anyone who wants the Gears aesthetic on a standard controller without hunting for leftover stock.
A companion charging dock from 8BitDo rounds out the merchandise push. It's priced at $39.99 in the US and £29.54 in the UK, with units shipping October 9 — three days after the game itself launches.
Where to buy
The Limited Edition controller is available to pre-order now at the Microsoft Store, Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart in the US; Amazon UK has the same September 30 street date. The Design Lab version goes live on September 30 as well.
Gears of War: E-Day is the first major Xbox console exclusive in several years and serves as a prequel to the original game, set during the first day of the Locust invasion.