What time does the Gears of War E-Day early access multiplayer beta start in your time zone?
Gears of War: E-Day's early access multiplayer beta launches on Thursday 6 August, but only for players who have pre-ordered the game or subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass. The beta arrives roughly two months ahead of the full game's release, giving fans an early look at the sequel while developer The Coalition gathers feedback and encourages players to earn exclusive cosmetic rewards ahead of launch.
The beta runs from 8pm BST on Thursday 6 August until 6pm BST on Monday 10 August, and focuses on the new Horde Siege mode, described as an evolution of the series' cooperative Horde format. Players can try four classes and two invasion bosses but are capped at level 10, with far more content, including Versus modes and additional maps, promised for the full release on 6 October. Completing challenges during the beta, such as reaching level 20 or performing revives and headshots, unlocks rewards including character skins, weapon skins, banners and emblems, and the beta is already available to preload.
- Gears of War: E-Day beta starts 8pm BST Thursday 6 August, ends Monday 10 August.
- Access requires pre-order or Game Pass Ultimate/PC Game Pass subscription.
- Beta focuses on new Horde Siege mode; full game launches 6 October.
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Gears of War: E-Day is the next instalment in the long-running Gears of War video game series, developed by The Coalition, best known for its cooperative "Horde" mode in which players fight off waves of enemies. Ahead of the game's full release on 6 October, the studio is running an early access multiplayer beta so it can test features and gather player feedback before launch.
Access to the beta is limited: it is only open to people who have pre-ordered the game or who subscribe to Microsoft's Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass services. The beta centres on a new mode called Horde Siege, a variation on the series' familiar cooperative format, though players are restricted to a handful of classes and a low level cap, with the rest of the game's content held back for the full release.
This matters mainly to existing Gears of War fans and Xbox or PC Game Pass subscribers, who are being given a limited preview of the game along with the chance to earn exclusive in-game rewards, such as character and weapon skins, by completing challenges during the trial period.