Get an early taste of 'Gears of War 4' in the beta next month
Gears of War 4 might still have an oh-so-hazy "fall 2016" release date, but fans will be able to sample the series' first Xbox One story starting Apr. 18.
That's when the game's "Versus" multiplayer beta test kicks off -- for certain players, at least. To get in during the early access period, you'll need to have played either the Windows 10 or Xbox One version of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.
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Invites will be sent out in waves starting Apr. 18 to anyone who's played Ultimate Edition, with the mailings continuing until Apr. 24, when the early access ends. Starting that day, anyone with an Xbox Live Gold subscription will be able to hop in on Xbox One. The beta ends on May 1.
To qualify for an early access token, you'll have to not just own, but also fire up and play Ultimate Edition on either platform by Apr. 11 at 11 p.m. PDT.
Microsoft hasn't specified what the beta will consist of, but Gears of War's "Versus" mode is all about player-versus-player showdowns, typically pitting two teams of five against one another. Expect to see a sampling of weapons and maps as well as a handful of characters.
Stay tuned for more details as the beta kickoff gets closer.
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Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
