I’d just pulled a grenade out of a Bilefrog when I realized my Marcus looked the part but I didn’t know the part’s price. Your loadout can whisper that you’re a grind veteran or loudly announce you paid to flex. I’ll walk you through every character and weapon skin so you stop guessing and start collecting.
I’ve spent hours in Horde Siege and the campaign, cross-checking what’s included with premium editions, and comparing store drops on Xbox, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. You’ll get clear signals about what’s free, what requires gameplay, and what costs real money — and I’ll tell you where The Coalition and Microsoft hide the paywalls. These skins are battle scars on your avatar.
How do I get every character skin in Gears of War: E-Day?
At a LAN, you can tell who grinds Horde by their cosmetic choices. Below I break down each character skin and the exact action that makes it yours.
Some skins are bundled with editions sold by Microsoft and The Coalition, others are earned through play in Horde Siege, Versus, or Campaign milestones. I recommend checking Steam or the Epic Games Store storefront pages if you want to compare platform-exclusive pre-order bonuses. If you’re short on time, scan the table for Included by default and gameplay-based entries — those don’t require spending cash.
| Skin | Character | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Bravo Squad Marcus | Marcus Fenix | Included by default |
| Ceremonial Marcus | Marcus Fenix | Store (paid) |
| Death’s Rendezvous Marcus | Marcus Fenix | Included with the Premium Edition Upgrade |
| Emergence Marcus | Marcus Fenix | Re-up for the first time |
| Wings of Valor Marcus | Marcus Fenix | Reach the highest Re-up level |
| Emergence Mags | Mags Carter | Complete a game of explosive Cornhole with a Bilefrog |
| Bravo Squad Mags | Mags Carter | Included by default |
| Infantry Armor Mags | Mags Carter | Store (paid) |
| Emergence Dom | Dominic Santiago | Included with pre-order bonus |
| Bravo Squad Dom | Dominic Santiago | Included by default |
| Siege Ops Dom | Dominic Santiago | Reach max level with Assault, Breacher, Marksman, and Medic classes in Horde Siege |
| Ceremonial Dom | Dominic Santiago | Store (paid) |
| Emergence Lucas | Lucas Reyes | Finish the Boot Camp |
| Bravo Squad Lucas | Lucas Reyes | Included by default |
| Ceremonial Lucas | Lucas Reyes | Store (paid) |
| Bloodied Hunter Tai | Tai Kaliso | Included by default |
| Theta Squad Tai | Tai Kaliso | Become Theta Squad during Act 1 of the Campaign |
| Repair Bay Gill | Gill Gettner | Store (paid) |
| Butcher Bird Gill | Gill Gettner | Finish the Onboarding Mission in Horde Siege |
| Captain Grey | Akila Grey | Included by default |
| Armistice Officer Grey | Akila Grey | Store (paid) |
| Bloody Star Trench | Elias Trench | Store (paid) |
| Colonel Trench | Elias Trench | Play Horde Siege on Commander difficulty or above and extract successfully |
| Captain Michaelson | Quentin Michaelson | Becomes accessible during Act 4 of the Campaign |
| Never Fight Alone Morida | Shin Morida | Store (paid) |
| Combat Medic Morida | Shin Morida | Revive allies in Horde Siege or Versus matches |
| Theta Squad Manu | Manu Kemara | Use Tactical Gear for available classes 10 times each in Horde Siege |
| Theta Squad Mako | Mako Kemara | Equip a Weapon, Tactical, and Armor mod for a class after unlocking them |
| Quartermaster Rustin | Hank Rusting | Becomes accessible during Act 4 of the Campaign |
| Airbase Daan | Daan Riggs | Store (paid) |
| Butcher Bird Daan | Daan Riggs | Use the Heavy Weapon to get kills in Horde Siege |
| Charlie Leader Valen | Bryce Valen | Becomes accessible during Act 2 of the Campaign |
| Female Infantry Gear | Kalona Infantry Soldier | Included by default |
| Male Infantry Gear | Kalona Infantry Soldier | Included by default |
| Female Ncog D-Flotilla Marine | Kalona Infantry Soldier | Store (paid) |
| Male Ncog D-Flotilla Marine | Kalona Infantry Soldier | Store (paid) |
| Female Heavy Gear | Kalona Infantry Soldier | Get kills or downs from cover in Versus matches |
| Female Sniper Gear | Kalona Infantry Soldier | Play Horde Siege and spend energy at the Supply Cache |
| Male Heavy Gear | Kalona Infantry Soldier | Get kills or downs from cover in Versus matches |
| Male Sniper Gear | Kalona Infantry Soldier | Play Horde Siege and spend energy at the Supply Cache |
| Commander Zee | Zee | Complete the full Campaign |
| Exfil Dom | Dominic Santiago | Included with the Premium Edition Upgrade |
Scan the table and mark the ones that require gameplay — those are the skins you can pursue for free. If you prefer shortcuts, check the store entries on Xbox or PC storefronts; prices usually show in USD (store checkout displays converted amounts, for example $1–$10 ≈ €1–€9).
Are there platform differences for character skins?
Yes. Some pre-order bonuses and edition extras are distributed through specific vendors. If you bought through Xbox, Steam, or the Epic Games Store, check your purchase history or the platform’s downloadable content section. Moyens I/O and community threads on Reddit often catalog the platform-specific extras quickly, so I scan those when a new bundle drops.
At a glance, weapon skins mostly live behind the storefront glass. Below I explain which skins you earn with gameplay and which require a wallet tap.
Comparatively, weapons skew paid: many of the prettier finishes are Store (paid) items. Still, several skins reward in-match skill — perfect active reloads, E-Hole work in Horde Siege, or specific kill conditions. The store is a vending machine of desire.
| Skin | How to Get |
|---|---|
| Backbone | Get 20 kills with the Lancer Mk1, Proto Lancer, and Hammerburst (each) |
| Kalona Eagles | Do Perfect Active Reloads in Versus or Horde Siege matches |
| Aurora Borealis | Close E-Holes in Horde Siege |
| Acidic | Shoot players down in Versus |
| Fenix’s Signature | Included with the Premium Edition |
| Exfil | Pre-order bonus |
| Emergence Omen | Included with the Premium Edition |
| Death’s Rendezvous | Included with the Premium Edition |
| Team Draconic | Re-up for the fourth time |
| Team Faction Bound | Re-up for the second time |
| Team Wooden Resin | Deal Critical Damage in Horde Siege or Versus matches |
| Kalona Survivor | Store (paid) |
| Kalona Skyline | Store (paid) |
| Inscribed | Store (paid) |
| Impaler’s Visage | Store (paid) |
| High Yield | Store (paid) |
| E-Hole | Store (paid) |
| Clear Coat | Store (paid) |
| Luke Preece | Store (paid) |
| Ncog D-Flotilla | Store (paid) |
| Never Fight Alone | Store (paid) |
| Ravens Inbound | Store (paid) |
| Ride the Lightning | Store (paid) |
| Scorced Chosen (Weapon) | Store (paid) |
| Serano | Store (paid) |
| Supernova | Store (paid) |
| Team Laser | Store (paid) |
| Team Machine | Store (paid) |
| Tusk | Store (paid) |
| X-Ray Scan | Store (paid) |
If you’re grinding for gameplay skins, focus on the objectives listed in the table: perfect active reloads, E-Hole work, and class progression in Horde Siege. If you prefer spending, check prices in USD at the storefront and note the checkout conversion to EUR (example: $5 ≈ €5).
I keep tabs on The Coalition posts and community threads on Reddit and Twitter for limited bundles and timed drops. Moyens I/O’s coverage and patch notes are also good signposts when Microsoft adds or retires items.
So — are you going to chase the gameplay skins or hunt down the store bundles this season?