If, like me, you were wildly impressed by Gears of War: E-Day’s insane multiplayer gameplay showcase and want to play it as soon as possible, then you’re in luck. E-Day is holding two beta test weekends for players to try out its multiplayer modes and help the devs polish it ahead of its October 6, 2026 launch.
The first beta test will run from August 6, 2026, at 12:00 pm PT to August 10, 2026, at 10:00 am PT for players who pre-ordered the game on Xbox Series X|S or Steam, and/or subscribed to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
The second beta test will be open for all players on all eligible platforms and will run from August 13, 2026, at 12:00 pm PT to August 17, 2026, at 10:00 am PT, regardless of whether a player has pre-ordered the game or not.
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To download the beta for the early access weekend, search for it on your respective platform’s digital storefront or library for “Gears Beta” if you pre-ordered the game digitally, or redeem an email code sent to your account if you pre-ordered the physical edition.
Accessing the open beta test is easier, as you simply need to search for “Gears Beta” on the Xbox digital storefront, Xbox PC app, or Steam’s storefront and download accordingly.
Xbox users will need at least an Xbox Game Essentials subscription to access the Gears of War E-Day multiplayer beta tests.
Steam users won’t need an Xbox/Microsoft account to play the Gears of War E-Day multiplayer beta tests, but they’ll need to link their Steam account to an Xbox account (which is done via the multiplayer beta test’s main menu) if they hope to play with Xbox players via cross-play.
Multiplayer beta content
However, each beta test weekend will have different forms of content to enjoy. The early-access beta test will only contain the 12-player Horde Siege mode, whereas the open beta test will contain the 12-player Horde Siege mode and the 4v4 Versus mode.
Here’s a list of what content you can expect from Gears of War: E-Day’s multiplayer beta test versus what content will be available in the full version, sourced from the official Gears of War: E-Day page.
|
Content |
Beta |
Launch |
|---|---|---|
|
Horde Siege Maps |
1 Map |
3 Maps |
|
Horde Siege Classes |
4 Classes |
4 Classes |
|
Horde Siege Class Levels |
Capped at Level 10 |
30 |
|
Invasion Events |
2 Invasion Bosses |
4 Invasion Bosses |
|
Versus Modes |
2 Modes |
4 Modes |
|
Versus Maps |
2 Maps |
6 Maps |
|
Weapons |
All |
All |
|
Medals |
5 |
Over 80 |
|
Player Level |
Capped at Level 50 |
Level 100 with Four Re-Ups |
|
Customization |
Limited Characters & Beta Rewards |
Season One Content |
Multiplayer beta exclusive rewards
Additionally, completing certain challenges within the beta tests will net you some exclusive in-game rewards you can use in the beta and in the full game, which include:
- Epic Blast Damage Mags Character Skin – Hit Player Level 20
- Rare Crush the Bug Weapon Skin Set – Extract from Horde Siege 8 Times on Infantry difficulty or higher.
- Crush the Bug Banner – Get 25 Headshots
- Crush the Bug Emblem – Perform 10 Revives
- Crush the Bug Icon – Perform 5 Prototype Lancer Chainsaw Executions
- Open Beta Medal & First in the Fight Title – Launch the Multiplayer Beta
PC spec requirements
If you’re planning on playing Gears of War: E-Day on PC, here is a list of recommended specs by The Coalition for you to determine if your rig can run it.
Do note that these specifications aren’t reflective of the full game, and The Coalition will update this list with the final PC spec requirements ahead of the game’s launch.
Also, make sure you update your NVIDIA Driver to GeForce Game Ready Driver 610.74 before launching the game; otherwise, it won’t run.
Minimum requirements
- CPU — AMD Ryzen 5 2600X / Intel i7-6850K / Intel i5-10400.
- GPU — NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 9060 / AMD Radeon RX 6600
- RAM — 12GB
- Storage — 80GD (SSD required)
- Windows Version — Windows 10 / 11 (minimum 22H2)
- Graphics Preset — Medium
- Performance Specs — 1080p, 60fps, Super Resolution: DLSS / FSR / TSR / XeSS
Recommended requirements
- CPU — AMD Ryzen 5 5600 / Intel i5-11600K.
- GPU — NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti / AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT / AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT
- RAM — 16GB
- Storage — 80GD (SSD required)
- Windows Version — Windows 10 / 11 (minimum 22H2)
- Graphics Preset — High
- Performance Specs — 1440p, 60fps, Super Resolution: DLSS / FSR / TSR / XeSS
Windows Central’s take
I can’t wait to get stuck into a Gears of War game again after all these years, especially after reading Jez Corden’s preview about how epic Gears of War: E-Day’s “Horde Siege” mode is shaping up to be.
Not to mention its story campaign, as shown in the Gears of War: E-Day Direct in June, which is also building up to a nostalgic thrill ride for players who grew up playing the original trilogy while also bringing in new newcomers with new mechanics and weapons to make it more fast-paced and brutal than previous titles.
But what about you? Are you looking forward to playing the Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer beta tests, or are you waiting until the full game comes out to play the campaign solo or with co-op?
If you have any thoughts on the matter, please let us know through the poll, the comments section, or our Reddit page.
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