Microsoft has announced the dates for open and early access periods of the Gears of War 4 multiplayer beta. It's about a month away.
Just to be clear, Microsoft states that the beta will be offered exclusively on Xbox One. There have been murmurs of a PC port of the game, but little more than that.
For the most devout Gears fans, or at least the ones who logged time in Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, the beta period opens early.
"Beginning on April 18, fans who've played Gears of War: Ultimate Edition on Xbox One or Windows 10 will begin to receive tokens in waves for early access to the beta," says Microsoft. "Following the conclusion of early access on April 24, all qualifying Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox One will be invited to join the beta until it ends on May 1."
For those who want to back up their fanhood and gain early access to the beta, there's still roughly a month left to do so. Microsoft is keeping the window early access qualification open until about the second week of April. That's right. Microsoft has pushed the deadline to qualify for early access from March 1 to April 11.
"To qualify, just log on to Xbox Live and play Gears of War: Ultimate Edition on Xbox One or Windows 10 by 11 p.m. PT, April 11," Microsoft adds.
This beta may be one that's truly worth accessing early, remarks Adam Fletcher, director of community for developer The Coalition.
A Neogaf user has asked Fletcher about the availability of a campaign demo during the multiplayer demo. Fletcher responds by stating that the studio is using the term "beta" because that's what it'll be, "a real beta."
"This isn't a demo," says Fletcher. "We are looking for feedback so we can make changes before launch. We are also testing our back end."
The Coalition hasn't committed to a firm release date, but Gears of War 4 is set to arrive this holiday exclusively on Xbox One. While there has been no solid news about a PC version of the game, The Coalition's studio head, Rod Fergusson, has indicated that a port hasn't been ruled out yet.
