The Coalition and Xbox open Gears of War: E-Day beta on Xbox and PC from Aug 13-17, 2026

The Coalition and Xbox will stage the Gears of War: E-Day beta on Xbox and PC, with an Early Access Beta for qualifying players and a wider Open Beta running from August 13, 2026 at 12:00 PM PT until August 17, 2026 at 10:00 AM PT.

The beta programme consists of an initial Early Access window for qualified participants followed by an Open Beta that any Xbox or PC player can join. Xbox Series X/S users and Steam players can download the beta client from their respective stores, and the Open Beta does not require purchasing the full game. Xbox players will require an active online membership to participate, while PC players can access the beta directly through Steam.

Qualification for Early Access is available to players who pre-order the game on Xbox or Steam or who hold an active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscription. Qualified players can download the beta and enter multiplayer once the servers go live during the Early Access period.

The beta spans two weekend phases with distinct multiplayer offerings: the first beta weekend will feature the new 12-player Horde Siege mode, and the second weekend will add 4v4 Versus multiplayer alongside Horde Siege. The second open beta weekend is available for everyone.

Participants can earn six unique cosmetic rewards across the beta weekends; these items are exclusively cosmetic and provide no gameplay advantage. The article specifies how to unlock these rewards through pre-order or Game Pass eligibility.

“Gears of War is a complex shooter, it’s intimidating, it’s got a high skill ceiling, its very hard for casuals to jump in” Nickmercs

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