Gears of War: E-Day Story Director Laid Off Days After Game Goes Gold
Juan Vaca, story director on Gears of War: E-Day, was laid off just days after announcing the game went gold. The Coalition saw a small number of cuts amid wider Xbox layoffs.
Imagine wrapping up a huge project, celebrating that it's finally done, and then losing your job just days later. That's exactly what happened to Juan Vaca, story director on Gears of War: E-Day.
Vaca posted on LinkedIn that he was among the latest wave of Microsoft layoffs. This came just five days after he shared the exciting news that Gears of War: E-Day had gone gold – meaning development was complete and the game was ready for release. He said he was 'excited for the world to see what the whole team's been cooking.' Now, he's out of a job.
Xbox confirmed 268 job losses yesterday, part of a planned 3,200 cuts across FY27. The layoffs hit multiple studios, including Halo Studios, whose franchise has been moved to Activision. But according to a Kotaku source, the cuts at The Coalition were a small number and not related to the wider Xbox restructuring. Still, it's a tough blow for a team that just finished a major game.
Gears of War: E-Day is set to launch on October 6, 2026 – less than two weeks away. So why is Xbox laying off key staff this close to launch? That's the big question, and Microsoft isn't saying. The company still plans to cut over 1,000 more jobs before the end of the fiscal year. Discussions are also ongoing about a potential buyout of Arkane (Dishonored maker) and the possible closure of Ninja Theory after two buyers fell through.
This isn't an isolated incident. Microsoft has been doing yearly rounds of layoffs ever since it acquired Activision Blizzard in 2023. For players, it's a reminder that even beloved franchises and talented developers aren't immune to corporate restructuring. The game will still come out, but the people who poured their hearts into it might not be there to celebrate.
It's a bittersweet moment for Gears fans. You're excited for a new entry in the series, but you also feel for the folks behind the scenes. Vaca's story is a stark example of how brutal the industry can be, even when you've just delivered a finished product.
What do you think about this situation? Will you still be picking up Gears of War: E-Day when it launches? Let us know in the comments.
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