Microsoft Fires Gears of War E-Day Narrative Director Four Days After Game Goes Gold

Juan Wakabayashi may not have even finished celebrating the completion of work on E-Day when his layoff notice arrived.

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.

Juan Wakabayashi, who served as narrative director at The Coalition, was affected. On September 17, The Coalition officially announced the completion of development on Gears of War: E-Day, and by September 22, Wakabayashi stated on his LinkedIn page that he was among the employees caught in Microsoft’s latest round of cuts and is now open to new opportunities in the gaming, film, and television industries.

Wakabayashi joined The Coalition in 2022 and worked on developing the narrative for Gears of War: E-Day. According to his job description, he led writing teams and cross-functional groups, helping shape the game’s story from initial concept to final implementation.