Gears of War: E-Day Early Access Beta Kicks Off on August 6

The upcoming Xbox exclusive Gears of War: E-Day will have two multiplayer betas this month, with the first one running from August 6 to 10. This early access beta will only be available for players who have pre-ordered the game on the Microsoft Store and Steam, and it will also be open to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers.

An open beta will follow next week on August 13-17. Challenge progress, class progression, and player level will carry over between beta weekends, though beta content will differ. “Players in the Early Access period will experience the evolution of Gears’ iconic PVE mode – Horde Siege. For the Open Beta, we will go even harder and open up our refined 4v4 Versus for competitive play in addition to Horde Siege,” developer The Coalition explained.

Players participating to the early access or open beta will be able to unlock rewards including character and weapon skins, banners, emblems, and more that will remain in their inventory when the game launches on October 6, 2026. You can find more details about the open beta exclusive rewards on the Gears of War website.

Early Access to the Gears of War: E-Day Open Beta is now available for pre-download.

Full details and how to earn all Beta Rewards here:https://t.co/j2h4kJuNy9 pic.twitter.com/wdHtd5CBwN

— Gears of War (@GearsofWar) August 3, 2026

The two Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer betas will be followed by two Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer betas later this month. The first early access beta will kick off on August 21, and it will be open to everyone who pre-ordered the game. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will be released on October 23, 2026, a little more than two weeks after Gears of War: E-Day. Crucially, both games will avoid competing directly with GTA VI, which is coming on November 19 on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.