Analyst: Gears of War: E-Day exclusivity did not lift Xbox sales
Circana's Mat Piscatella said the Xbox console exclusivity for Gears of War: E-Day made no difference to hardware trends, with UK sales down 22% in October.
Mat Piscatella, games analyst at Circana, said making Gears of War: E-Day an Xbox console exclusive has not improved sales of the Xbox Series X|S, in an interview with The Game Business.
Piscatella said Circana saw no uplift in US Xbox sales after the exclusivity decision, and that announcing Gears of War: E-Day as exclusive made no difference to the hardware trend. UK Xbox sales data from Nielsen IQ showed a 22% drop in October.
He also pointed to the removal of Call of Duty as a day-one Xbox Game Pass release, saying it cost engagement without benefit. According to Piscatella, it is hard to find signs of positivity or hope on the Xbox platform right now.
PS5 gains on software
On the PlayStation side, Piscatella said PS5 sales in September 2026 were boosted compared to September 2025 thanks to Marvel's Wolverine.
The exclusivity decision followed Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's emphasis that Gears of War: E-Day would be exclusive to Xbox consoles, despite reports a PS5 version was far in development.
Quick answers
Did Gears of War: E-Day exclusivity boost Xbox sales?
No. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said the exclusivity made no difference to Xbox hardware trends, with no US uplift and a 22% drop in UK Xbox sales in October, according to Nielsen IQ data.
Why did PS5 sales rise in September 2026?
Piscatella said PS5 sales were boosted year-on-year thanks to Marvel's Wolverine.