- Primary Subject: Gears of War: E-Day Beta
- Key Update: The Gears of War: E-Day beta starts on August 6th, and we have all the details you need to participate.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: August 4, 2026
- Quick Answer: The E-Day beta will run over two periods, from August 6 to 10 and from August 13 to 17, and players who pre-order the game will get access to the first weekend.
It's almost time for players to try out the multiplayer of Gears of War: E-Day with the upcoming beta. These test periods will give players the chance to play both the new Horde Siege mode, as well as the classic PvP modes in Versus.
While we wait for the beta to kick off, here is everything you need to participate and know what you'll be able to play.
Gears of War: E-Day Beta Dates and Start Times
The Gears of War: E-Day beta will take place across two weekends on both platforms, Xbox and PC. These are the start and end dates:
- Early Access beta
- August 6 to August 10
- Open beta
- August 13 to August 17
In terms of start time, the beta will kick off at 12:00 PM PT on both weekends. Here is the respective time for the different time zones:
- August 6 or August 13
- 12:00 PM PT
- 2:00 PM CT
- 3:00 PM ET
- 8:00 PM BST
- 9:00 PM CET
- August 7 or August 14
- 5:00 AM AEST
How to Play the Early Access Beta
All players who pre-order the game on either Steam or Xbox will receive access to the first weekend. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers will also get access to the early access weekend.
The second weekend will be an open beta, meaning anyone who downloads the beta can participate without doing any extra steps.
Gears of War: E-Day Beta Content
The beta will give players access to a large portion of the game's content, but not everything that will be included at launch. This is everything available on both beta weekends:
- Horde Siege
- 1 map
- 4 classes
- Capped at level 10
- 2 invasion bosses
- Versus
- 2 modes
- 2 maps
- All weapons
- 5 medals
- Capped at level 50
- Limited characters and beta rewards
Gears of War: E-Day Beta Rewards
The beta will have a list of challenges that will grant exclusive rewards to those who complete them. These rewards will be available to use both in the beta and the full game when it eventually launches.
These are the rewards, along with the challenge to unlock each one:
- 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
Gears of War: E-Day is scheduled to go live on Tuesday, October 6, on all platforms. The game will be exclusive to Xbox and PC, meaning there won't be a PlayStation 5 version.
READ MORE: Gears of War: E-Day's Horde Siege Mode Revealed, PvP Map and Modes Announced
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