Gears of War: E-Day will begin its early access beta on August 6 at 12pm PT. This first window will run until August 10 at 10am PT, giving eligible players an earlier look at the multiplayer test before the free open beta begins.
The open beta will run from August 13 at 12pm PT through August 17 at 10am PT. The full game is scheduled to launch on October 6, 2026, after a seven-year gap for the series.
How to play the beta early
There are two ways to access the August 6-10 early window:
- Pre-order any edition of Gears of War: E-Day. Both digital and physical purchases qualify. Physical pre-orders may include a beta code at the time of purchase, depending on the region and retailer. Digital purchases do not require a code.
- Subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass. Subscribers can join the early access beta without buying a separate edition.
The open beta from August 13-17 will be free for everyone, so Game Pass is not required for that second window.
Players using Steam will not need an Xbox account to play with other Steam users. An Xbox account will be required for cross-play.
Beta schedule and playable modes
Both beta windows will include Horde Siege, a 12-player PvE mode, and 4v4 Versus. The Coalition announced on August 6 that Versus will be part of the early access window, meaning players will not have to wait for the free open beta to try the competitive mode.
The beta will include the following content:
| Content | Beta availability |
|---|---|
| Horde Siege maps | 1 map |
| Horde Siege classes | 4 classes |
| Horde Siege class levels | Capped at level 10 |
| Invasion events | 2 invasion bosses |
| Versus modes | 2 modes |
| Versus maps | 2 maps |
| Weapons | All weapons |
| Medals | 5 |
| Player level | Capped at level 50 |
| Customization | Limited characters and beta rewards |
This is unfinished beta software, and players may encounter crashes, performance dips, matchmaking delays, accessibility bugs, and visual problems. The known beta issues are worth checking before the test begins.
Gears of War: E-Day beta rewards
Several rewards can be earned during the beta by completing level, Horde Siege, combat, and participation objectives:
| Beta task | Reward |
|---|---|
| Reach player level 20 | Epic Blast Damage Mags Character Skin |
| Extract from Horde Siege 8 times on Infantry difficulty or higher | Rare Crush the Bug Weapon Skin Set |
| Get 25 headshots | Crush the Bug Banner |
| Perform 10 revives | Crush the Bug Emblem |
| Perform 5 Prototype Lancer Chainsaw Executions | Crush the Bug Icon |
| Launch the multiplayer beta | Open Beta Medal and First in the Fight Title |
Only the beta player title, beta medal, and beta rewards will carry over to the full release.
Gears of War: E-Day beta PC requirements
The beta uses the same PC requirements as the full game. The listed targets cover medium settings at 1080p and high settings at 1440p, with both targeting 60 FPS through a supported super-resolution option.
| Specification | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 2600X / Intel i7-6850K / Intel i5-10400 | AMD Ryzen 5 5600 / Intel i5-11600K |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 / RTX 2060 AMD Radeon RX 9060 / RX 6600 |
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 / RTX 3060 Ti AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT / RX 6700 XT |
| RAM | 12GB | 16GB |
| Storage | 80GB SSD required | 80GB SSD required |
| Windows version | Windows 10/11, minimum 22H2 | Windows 10/11, minimum 22H2 |
| Graphics preset | Medium | High |
| Performance target | 1080p at 60 FPS with DLSS/FSR/TSR/XESS | 1440p at 60 FPS with DLSS/FSR/TSR/XeSS |
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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
