Gears of War: E-Day will enter its beta with a range of known problems, including crashes, performance dips, matchmaking delays, accessibility bugs, and visual issues. Early Access will run from August 6 through August 10, 2026, followed by the open beta from August 13 through August 17.
The game’s official Steam announcement stresses that the beta is unfinished software. Players who encounter problems that are not covered below, especially issues that prevent them from playing, can report them through the Gears support site.
Issues that can affect everyone
Crashes and unstable performance may occur during the test. Players may also face high latency or delays while matchmaking as the online systems handle the beta population.
Accessibility work is still underway, with the narrator feature among the tools that may not behave correctly. The game world can also show problems with cover, visual popping, asset streaming, and areas outside the intended play space.
PC known issues
PC players should check their drivers and recording software before launching. NVIDIA users need GeForce Game Ready Driver 610.74 or newer, since the beta will not launch on older NVIDIA drivers.
- Required driver versions: AMD
26.6.4, Intel101.8864, and NVIDIA610.74or later. - OBS: Recording with a version older than
29.0.0can crash the game. Version29.0.0+is required. - Intel Arc: Arc graphics cards currently recompile shaders every time the game starts, which can make startup take longer.
- Intel Arc A580 and B580: Performance may fall sharply when Resizable BAR, or ReBAR, is disabled in BIOS. Players should verify that ReBAR and Above 4G Decoding are enabled.
- Comodo Antivirus: The software may block the game’s executables and prevent launch. Temporarily disabling it or allowing the executables through Comodo can resolve the problem.
- Account mismatches: Using one account in the XBOX App and another in the Windows Store can prevent online play.
- Steam Machines: Account linking does not work for the beta.
- Graphics settings: Frame generation is disabled for the beta and will be available in the final game. The frame rate is also capped at 150 FPS for now.
- Display modes: Changing display modes can sometimes leave the game unable to fill the entire screen.
Xbox Series X|S known issues
On Xbox Series S, extended Horde Siege sessions in Quality Mode may cause hitching. If that happens, fully quit and restart the game. Normal performance should return during the next play session.
The official Gears of War: E-Day Open Beta Details & FAQ includes information about access and code redemption.
These issues are part of the beta’s unfinished state, so some problems may remain during the test. If you play, tell us what you think in the comments and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
Gears of War: E-Day
Developed by The Coalition
Experience the brutal horror of Emergence Day through the eyes of Marcus Fenix in the origin story of one of gaming's most acclaimed sagas.
Fourteen years before Gears of War, war heroes Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago return home to face a new nightmare: the Locust Horde. These subterranean monsters, grotesque and relentless, erupt from below, laying siege on humanity itself.
Built from the ground up with Unreal Engine 5, Gears of War: E-Day delivers unprecedented graphical fidelity.
- Genre Shooter, Adventure
- Platforms Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release October 6, 2026
- Publisher Xbox Game Studios
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Age Rating
