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Latest updates on Gears of War: E-Day. Release date, open beta details, pre-order editions, PC specifications, and more — everything you need before Emergence Day arrives.
Latest updates on Gears of War: E-Day. Release date, open beta details, pre-order editions, PC specifications, and more — everything you need before Emergence Day arrives.
October 6, 2026 at 00:00 PT — Global simultaneous launch
Gears of War: E-Day launches globally on October 6, 2026. Early access begins October 1 for premium edition owners.
October 6, 2026 — global simultaneous launch across all platforms.
Early Access: October 1, 2026 (5 days early) for Premium Edition and Collector's Edition owners.
Xbox Series X|S — optimized for both consoles
Windows PC — Steam + Xbox App
Cloud Gaming — Xbox Cloud Gaming (Game Pass Ultimate)
NOT on PS5 — confirmed Xbox console exclusive.
$69.99 Standard Edition
$99.99 Premium Edition (digital)
Collector's Edition (physical, limited)
Xbox Play Anywhere supported. Day One on Game Pass Ultimate. Cross-play across all platforms.
The Gears of War: E-Day Open Beta is live now. Jump in and experience Horde Siege and Versus ahead of launch.
Early Access: August 6–10, 2026 — for players who pre-ordered any edition or have an active Game Pass subscription.
Open Beta: August 13–17, 2026 — free for all players on all platforms. No pre-order or subscription required.
Horde Siege: Playable on the "Golden Quarter" map across all three difficulties (Infantry, Commander, Allfather).
Versus: 4v4 multiplayer including Team Deathmatch, Conquest, and Demolition modes. A subset of launch maps — full map list available at launch.
Not included: Campaign missions, Crucible mode, full weapon mods system, and ranked play.
Simply search "Gears Beta" on your platform's store:
Xbox: Microsoft Store on console — search "Gears Beta"
PC (Xbox App): Open the Xbox app, search "Gears Beta"
Steam: Search "Gears of War: E-Day Playtest" on the Steam store
Download size is approximately 45 GB.
Xbox consoles: You need at least an Xbox Game Pass Essentials subscription to play online multiplayer (this is an Xbox Live requirement for free-to-play online titles).
Steam: No subscription required. Completely free.
During the Open Beta period (Aug 13–17), Xbox may waive Essentials requirements — check the official FAQ for confirmation.
Carries over: Beta-exclusive rewards — skins, banners, emblems, icons, the Open Beta medal, and the "First in the Fight" title will all be available in your inventory at launch.
Does NOT carry over: Class levels, player level, weapon mod unlocks, and any in-game currency earned during the Beta will be reset at launch. Everyone starts fresh on October 6.
Earn these exclusive cosmetics during the Beta and they will be waiting for you at launch. These rewards will not be available after the Beta ends.
Choose the edition that's right for you. Pre-order any edition to receive the Exfil Dom Legendary Skin and Exfil Legendary Weapon Skin Set.
Make sure your rig is ready for Emergence Day. The Coalition has shared Beta specifications — final launch specs may be further optimized.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1660 AMD RX 5600 XT |
NVIDIA RTX 3070 AMD RX 6800 XT |
| CPU | Intel i5-8400 AMD Ryzen 5 2600 |
Intel i7-10700K AMD Ryzen 7 3700X |
| RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | SSD Required, 100 GB | NVMe SSD, 100 GB |
| OS | Windows 10/11 (64-bit) | Windows 10/11 (64-bit) |
| Driver | NVIDIA 610.74+ AMD 26.7.1+ |
Latest available |
The final release will support DLSS 4.5, Frame Generation, Ray Tracing (reflections and shadows), HDR10, and an unlocked frame rate. The Coalition is targeting 150+ FPS on high-end hardware — a temporary frame rate cap is in place during the Beta for stability testing.
While not officially supported during the Beta, The Coalition has confirmed they are targeting Steam Deck compatibility for launch. Expect lower settings and 30–40 FPS on handheld PC devices. Final verification coming closer to release.
The Beta is a work-in-progress build. The Coalition has acknowledged the following known issues. Workarounds are provided where available.
drone-snub: Network connectivity issue. Often caused by VPNs or restrictive firewall settings. Disable VPN and ensure your NAT type is Open or Moderate.quentin-ephyra: Triggered by Quick Resume on Xbox. Fully quit the game from the dashboard and relaunch.bryce-vigil / gill-gutpuncher: System clock synchronization error. Ensure your device's date and time are set to automatic. On PC, sync via Windows Time Service.The latest community news, announcements, and coverage from around the Gears of War universe.
The Gears of War: E-Day Open Beta has shattered the franchise's concurrent player record on Steam, peaking at 14,331+ CCU during the Early Access period — surpassing Gears 5's previous record of 10,196. With the Open Beta opening to all players on August 13, that number is expected to climb further.
The Coalition and Xbox have officially revealed the Gears of War: E-Day Collector's Edition. The physical bundle features a 15-inch Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago diorama statue, a SteelBook case with exclusive Luke Preece artwork, replica Carlos COG Tags, a premium art print, and the Premium Edition game disc. Pre-orders are open now through participating retailers while supplies last.
The Coalition released a comprehensive multiplayer deep dive showcasing the full scope of Horde Siege (12-player co-op with 3 fireteams) and Versus (4v4 across 4 modes). The trailer also confirmed that Metallica is contributing to the game's original soundtrack — a first for the Gears franchise. Watch the full breakdown on the official Gears of War YouTube channel.
Direct links to official pages, store listings, and community hubs for Gears of War: E-Day.
The Locust Horde rises on October 6, 2026. Whether you are jumping into the Beta this week or preparing for launch day, our guides have you covered.