E-Day is the first Gears game where humanity doesn't know what the Locust are. The bestiary is designed around that: familiar units rebuilt to be genuinely frightening, plus new creatures and a named commander built to respect series canon.
Returning Locust
| Unit | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Drones (Grubs) | Official | Rebuilt — "more formidable than the cannon fodder of older games" |
| Wretches | Official | The first wave from the road-opening E-Hole in the reveal |
| Boomers | Official | Return with the heavy-weapon role |
| Corpsers | Official | Seen in the 2024 announce trailer's pull-back shot; Invasion-event bosses in Horde Siege |
| Reavers | Official | Listed among returning units |
| Brumaks | Official (campaign preview) | Appear armored as the escalation peaks |
New Threats
- Kamikaze-type Locust (campaign preview): rushes the player at close range; a hit can down you and start an execution — only a teammate can break you free
- Scorched Legion (Gamescom story trailer): Vraahk's elite units, marked by spikes and self-mutilation — "when you're facing his elite troops, you've got all the vibes of Vraahk coming through"
- All-new creatures and villains teased in official copy to "reestablish a true sense of horror"
Vraahk — the Main Antagonist
- Revealed in the story trailer at Gamescom Opening Night Live (August 25, 2026); name confirmed post-premiere by The Coalition narrative lead Andrew Morava
- Developer description (podcast): a blight commander, injured in the Lambent War, who "came up here to destroy humanity" — he "basically embodies the brutality of the Locust"
- Design notes (IGN LATAM): massive, tribal, explosion-scarred face — with COG armor plates taken from Gears he has executed embedded in his arms
- Canon logic: Marcus doesn't meet General RAAM until Gears 1 (14 years later), so Vraahk exists to let Bravo Squad close the campaign with a decisive win without breaking continuity
Two sources describe Vraahk's rank differently — the developers' own "blight commander" wording is the one to trust; wider Locust-hierarchy placement (under RAAM, under Skorge) is media extrapolation until officially stated.
The Escalation Design
Every encounter is a first for the characters — the game builds from block-by-block monster attacks ("what the f**k is that?") to the realization that the Locust are an army with commanders and structure. The enemy nicknames you'd recognize from later games don't exist yet; the squad invents them in the moment.
Questions
Who is the villain in Gears of War: E-Day?
Vraahk, a Locust blight commander who leads the siege of Kalona — created so the campaign's final fight doesn't contradict Marcus meeting General RAAM in Gears 1.
What is the Scorched Legion?
Vraahk's elite Locust units, introduced in the Gamescom story trailer — spiked, self-mutilating, and designed to carry his brutality into every fight.
Which enemies return in E-Day?
Drones, Wretches, Boomers, Corpsers and Reavers are confirmed, rebuilt; Brumaks appear later in the escalation.