Choose the help you need

Campaign guide routes[3][4][5]
Your goalOpen this
Set up solo or co-opCampaign & Co-op
Choose difficulty or plan playtimeCampaign Difficulty & Length
Find a missed itemCampaign Collectibles
Get all 13 opening-act collectiblesAct 1 locations
Plan Insane or full completionAchievements & Completion

Keep the chapter list open when you are cleaning up. Stop reading once you reach your chapter if you want to preserve later story surprises.

All acts and chapters in order

Published early-access chapter index[1]
ActChapters in order
Act 1 walkthrough1 Emergence · 2 Survival of the Fittest · 3 A Gear in Need · 4 Back in the Fold
Act 2 walkthrough1 Bravo Squad · 2 Hold the Line · 3 No Gear Left Behind · 4 Flyboys · 5 Overrun
Act 3 walkthrough1 Stranded · 2 Enemy Lines · 3 Last Foothold · 4 The Convoy · 5 Desperate Times · 6 Desperate Measures
Act 4 walkthrough1 Hope and Ruin · 2 Technical Difficulties · 3 Tough as Nails · 4 Signals · 5 Paths Diverge · 6 Critical Failure
Act 5 walkthrough1 One Problem at a Time · 2 Ghost Town · 3 Storm Clouds · 4 Resolute · 5 The Fall of Kalona

The prologue precedes Act 1; the epilogue follows Act 5. These names come from published early-access coverage. Collectible chapter headings in some guides contain mistakes, so use the numbered chapter together with its name when matching a route.[1][6][7]

Act 1: opening route and collectible sweep

The first act’s chapter sequence[8]
  1. 1

    Emergence

    Check the opening street, tunnel side room and café.

  2. 2

    Survival of the Fittest

    Sweep the police station and recruitment center.

  3. 3

    A Gear in Need

    Recheck the supermarket after the encounter.

  4. 4

    Back in the Fold

    Search the street, clinic and police-car route.

There are 13 collectible entries in Act 1, split 3 / 4 / 2 / 4. The Act 1 location guide gives a short landmark for each; it contains encounter and location spoilers.[5]

Later acts: use the matching published route

Story spoilers · open to readOpen Act 2–5 route help (location and story spoilers)
External walkthrough routes[1]
ActPublished help
Act 2Act 2 walkthrough
Act 3Act 3 walkthrough
Act 4Act 4 walkthrough
Act 5Act 5 walkthrough

Use your live objective and chapter name to match the route. This wiki has not independently played those walkthroughs; the links identify the external author’s published instructions.

If an encounter or objective stops progressing

The launch known-issues list says a very long uninterrupted campaign session can develop memory issues. If an encounter or objective blocks, reload a checkpoint. It also notes that clients joining an existing co-op save receive prior secondary-objective and Hard Case progress in the War Journal and related Forge rewards.[9]

Before using a longer walkthrough, compare the current objective with the route you have just taken. If the objective appears stalled rather than unclear, apply the published checkpoint workaround first and note which chapter and checkpoint were affected.

Sources & further reading

  1. Published campaign order: all acts and chaptersWhisper of the House · October 2, 2026
  2. Rebuilding BrotherhoodXbox Wire · June 7, 2026
  3. Gears of War: E-Day official game pageXbox
  4. E-Day official achievements list (campaign hints)Xbox Wire · September 9, 2026
  5. Act 1 collectible locations and chapter totalsShowGamer · Andrey Pavlenko · October 2, 2026
  6. Act 2 collectible walkthrough (German)Gameswelt · Denis Lucius Brown · October 2, 2026
  7. Act 2 collectible locations with gameplay screenshotsThe Nerd Stash · Julio La Pine · October 1, 2026
  8. Act 1 collectible locations with gameplay screenshotsDayOne · Aarsal Masoodi · October 1, 2026
  9. Emergence Begins: Season 1, launch changes and known issuesThe Coalition · September 30, 2026