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Horde Siege - Version 4 vs Version 5
Sep 14, 2026, 01:09 AM
Confirmed the Infantry and Allfather difficulty names from the achievement list and updated the post-launch pointer
Oct 2, 2026, 08:07 AM
Added the pre-launch Horde Siege tuning and fixes, and Season 1 event missions
11Horde Siege is the player versus environment mode in Gears of War: E-Day and a twelve-player evolution of the series' wave-based survival mode. Three squads of four fight on the same map at the same time, each with its own mission, joining a battle already in progress and crossing paths with the other squads as objectives shift.22The core loop is unchanged in spirit: survive the Locust, support your squad and bring enough firepower to hold. What is new is scale. Three squads, larger maps and a mix of mission types mean threats, objectives and opportunities all move during a match. The studio describes it as an epic version of Horde on big maps with multiple squads, and states that the new maps are all set in Kalona.44Format66ElementDetailPlayers12, in three squads of fourSettingMaps built inside the city of KalonaMaps at launchThree, each covering a different district, with more coming after launchClassesFour at launch, detailed on Horde Siege ClassesEconomyShared Energy, spent individually. See Energy and Supply CachesWeapon modsAvailable, unlike in VersusVoiceProximity chat lets you hear nearby players from other squads. It is available in Horde Siege only.88Maps99Horde Siege maps are built across the sprawling districts of the city, each covering multiple city blocks with more space and more combat options than any previous map in the series. The size is the point: squads move across the battlefield, respond to shifting objectives, collect Energy and decide together where to invest and how to approach each fight. The same map plays differently from match to match depending on mission, difficulty, modifiers and what the other two squads are doing. The six competitive maps are a separate set, listed on Versus Maps.1111The battleground is also persistent within a match. One squad's last stand becomes the next squad's opportunity, and you can come across equipment or fortifications left behind by a squad that has already extracted and use them in your own fight.1313The map used during the Open Beta was Golden Quarter, set in the aftermath of the battle for the historic district of Kalona and built around landmarks and architecture drawn from the series' classic locations.1515Playlists1717PlaylistObjectivesTypical lengthBlitzShort, intense missions with 1 to 2 objectivesAround 15 to 20 minutesSiegeStandard missions with multiple objectives and more map traversal20 to 40 minutesHordeHunker down in one spot and defend against 10 waves with limited supportUp to 50 to 60 minutes1919Difficulty2020Difficulty here works differently from the campaign because it scales with class level rather than being a flat setting. The higher your class level, the higher the tier you can take on, and harder missions pay better. The mode always suggests a tier, but the final call belongs to the squad.2222TierIntended forRecommended class levelsRookiePlayers familiar with the campaign or with fighting the Locust1 to 10InfantryExperienced players ready for a challenge10 to 20CommanderElite players with many completed missions behind them20 to 30AllfatherMissions with a slim chance of survival regardless of recordMax level classes only2424Two of the four tier names are confirmed in writing outside the mode itself: Infantry and Allfather both appear in achievement requirements, one asking for fifty completed missions at Infantry or higher and another for an extraction with the whole squad alive on Allfather. See Achievements.2525The two upper tiers were made harder before launch: the September 30, 2026 patch notes raise the difficulty of Commander and Allfather, and of every Invasion Event.27+R.I.G. and Objective Types2729Most missions revolve around R.I.G.s, short for Resonation Imaging Geographer. These are COG scanning devices originally built by mining companies to locate underground pockets of Imulsion, now repurposed for short-range mapping of the Locust tunnels beneath the city. Five objective types ship at launch, with more planned.2931ObjectiveWhat it asksSecureLocust forces occupy an area critical to the defence of Kalona. Push into their position and drive them out.CalibrateA R.I.G. needs calibration before use. Defend a series of zones near it so it can map Locust territory accurately.RepairThe Locust have attacked a R.I.G. and scattered key components. Collect and reinstall every part to bring it back online.DefendAn active R.I.G. is drawing nearby Locust. Hold it until the mapping sequence finishes.HordeSurvive 10 waves of increasing difficulty as the Locust try to destroy a single R.I.G.3133Secondary Objectives3234Optional side tasks appear while you work the main objective. They pay out Weapon Parts, free equipment and Squad Perks, which are shared in-session buffs that can be upgraded at Supply Caches and expire when the mission ends. Confirmed secondary tasks include defusing Locust explosives, eliminating high value targets, collecting COG intelligence, and delivering a Power Core to another squad's R.I.G. for a mid-wave boost.3436Modifiers and In-Match Events3638SystemEffectMission ModifiersAttached to the difficulty you picked. Confirmed examples are perfect active reloads only, health regenerating only while in cover, and enemies exploding on death.PoisonsEvery completed boss wave raises Locust health and damage. Poisons are squad-specific, so only the enemies your squad faces are affected.Invasion EventsAll squads are warned that large Locust units are arriving. Confirmed bosses are the Corpser and the Brumak, listed on Enemies. While the event runs, a temporary modifier affects the whole match and can block extractions or disable Supply Caches. The bosses bring supporting units, and any squad that joins the fight takes a share of the rewards.3840Death, Revives and Squad Lives3941A killed player drops their COG tags. Squadmates can pick those tags up and deliver them to any Supply Cache to revive that player, and players from other squads can do the same. If an entire squad goes down, that squad loses a Squad Life. Running out of Squad Lives fails the mission with partial experience and returns the squad to the lobby.4143Extraction4345Every mission ends the same way. Once the main objectives are done, the squad has to clear a landing zone and survive until the Raven arrives. Technically only one squad member needs to board to complete the mission, though leaving nobody behind is the better outcome. Fail to clear the area in time and the ride leaves without you. Extraction also decides whether the Weapon Parts collected during the mission are kept, which is covered on Mods and Customization.4547Changes Before Launch49+The studio's September 30, 2026 patch notes list the Horde Siege changes made since the Open Beta.51+AreaChangeDifficultyAll Invasions made more difficult; Commander and Allfather made harder; Repair objective difficulty adjustedExecutionsLower health threshold for executing a Boomer, Flayer or Grinder with a Prototype LancerRewardsFewer Weapon Part rewards for taking part in invasions and from Weapon Part StockpilesClassesMedic stim duration adjusted. See Horde Siege ClassesEconomyEquipment costs increased, some Squad Perks reduced in impact, Squad Perks cost more Energy, and Energy icons adjusted in brightness and opacity. See Energy and Supply CachesFixesTickers are flung properly when kicked; blast charges delivered during the Corpser Invasion Event now register; objectives start and complete more reliably; spectating a squadmate while COG tagged is more reliable4653After Launch4754New classes, maps, missions, modifiers and seasonal content including limited time events are planned as part of the wider post-launch support, across five committed seasons beginning with Season 1: Emergence. Nothing beyond the launch set has been named or dated, and the whole plan is tracked on Seasons and Post-Launch Content.55+New classes, maps, missions, modifiers and seasonal content including limited time events are planned as part of the wider post-launch support, across five committed seasons beginning with Season 1: Emergence. Season 1: Emergence began with early access on October 1, 2026 and runs to December 1, and each of its three themed events includes a Horde Siege Event mission. No new maps, classes or objective types have been named or dated, and the whole plan is tracked on Seasons and Post-Launch Content.
