Gears of War: E-Day Teams With Gibson for Custom Marcus and Dom Guitars

Two Iconic Brands, Two Iconic Soldiers

With Gears of War: E-Day counting down to launch, The Coalition and Gibson Guitars have announced a collaboration that feels surprisingly earned. According to Xbox Wire, the two companies are releasing a collection of two custom guitars, one based on the Gibson Les Paul and one on the SG, each designed to honor the franchise’s central duo: Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago.

The guitars are not just branded merchandise slapped together for a release window. The artwork on each instrument was created by Luke Preece, an artist and illustrator described by Xbox Wire as someone who has been part of the Gears of War: E-Day project from the very beginning. Studio Brand Director Nicole Fawcette spoke to that continuity directly. “These guitars feel like the culmination of a years-long creative collaboration with Luke, who has been part of Gears of War: E-Day from the very beginning,” she said, as quoted by Xbox Wire. “He loves Gears of War as much as we do, and he has a gift for translating the spirit of the franchise into striking art that makes you feel something.”

Preece, for his part, did not seem to need much convincing. “It brought together everything I love: music, metal, guitars, video games, art, and Gears of War,” he said according to Xbox Wire. “All of those influences found their way into the guitars, so the collaboration felt completely natural.”

The Music Was Already There

What makes this partnership more than a marketing stunt is that Gibson instruments were already woven into the game itself. As reported by Xbox Wire, Gears of War: E-Day composer Adam Lastiwka used Gibson guitars during the recording of the game’s soundtrack. Guitar-driven scores have helped define the Gears franchise for nearly two decades, so the choice to anchor a physical collectible collection in that same sonic identity makes a certain kind of sense.

The collaboration is framed, both by The Coalition and by Preece himself, around the theme of brotherhood that runs through the Gears series. Marcus and Dom have been at the center of that story since the franchise launched, and E-Day is positioned as a return to their origins. Putting each character on a separate instrument, a Les Paul and an SG, treats them as individuals worth celebrating on their own terms while still connecting them as a pair.

A Sweepstakes for the Three Guitars

The guitars are not heading to retail shelves. Instead, Xbox Wire reports that fans can enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win one of three custom handcrafted Gibson guitars from the collection. The announcement was published on August 19, 2026, as part of Xbox Wire’s ongoing Gears of War: E-Day coverage leading up to the game’s release.

For Gears fans who have grown up with the franchise’s heavy guitar-forward soundtracks, the idea of owning a physical Les Paul or SG that connects directly to that lineage carries real weight. Whether or not you win the sweepstakes, the collaboration is a reminder that the best licensed merchandise tends to come from a place where the creative teams actually care about the source material. Preece’s involvement stretching back to the beginning of development suggests this one was not conceived in a marketing meeting at the last minute.