Microsoft fired Gears of War: E-Day narrative director four days after the game went gold

It is possible that Juan Vaca had not even finished celebrating the completion of work on E-Day when he received his termination notice.

Almost immediately after Gears of War: E-Day went gold, one of the game's key development leaders lost his job as part of a new wave of Microsoft layoffs.

We are talking about Juan Vaca, who served as narrative director at The Coalition. On September 17, The Coalition officially announced the completion of development for Gears of War: E-Day, and on September 22, Vaca announced on his LinkedIn page that he was among the employees affected by the latest Microsoft layoffs and is now open to new opportunities in the gaming industry, film, and television.

Vaca joined The Coalition in 2022 and was responsible for developing the narrative of Gears of War: E-Day. According to his job description, he led writing teams and interdisciplinary groups, helping to create the game's story from initial concept to final implementation.