Gears 5 Is Getting Two Multiplayer Betas This Month

Gears 5 is getting not one, but two early access betas this month on Xbox One and PC. More specifically, it's getting two "technical tests." The first is coming on July 19 at 10 a.m. PDT and will run until July 22 at the same time. Meanwhile, the second technical test will begin on July 26 and run until July 29. It will run at the same times as the first test. According to developer The Coalition, the technical tests are a small in-development slice of its Versus mode in Gears 5. It will come packing the following:

• Arcade: A new approachable, frenetic Versus experience.
• Escalation: The pinnacle objective mode of Gears is back and better than ever.
• King of the Hill: Capture the hill, enjoy the carnage.

These three modes will be playable across two different maps. In addition, players will also get to try out the following two new features of Gears 5:

• Bootcamp: Practice your skills and learn new mechanics in our new training mode.
• Tour Of Duty: Experience a mini Tour of Duty, where you'll complete Medals to unlock exclusive Tester Weapon Skins to take into Gears 5. Complete all 3 Medals to unlock the exclusive Tester Banner to showcase in Gears 5.

The Coalition notes that it will reveal more about Gears 5 Versus next week, which will then be followed by a weekend of Gears 5 Escalation action and more from the ELeague invitational tournament.

The download for the technical test will be 15GB, and ultimately the goal of it is to test the game's servers ahead of launch in September. The Coalition notes that the game has an access queue system in place to protect server stability as much as possible. In other words, expect some queueing when you play.

So, how do you earn access? Well, if you're a Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Game Pass subscriber, access is included in your membership. You'll be able to download the test via the Game Pass Library starting on July 17. You can also earn access by pre-ordering the game digitally via the Xbox Store or by redeeming a code provided when pre-ordering a retail copy at participating retailers. As for PC, the same applies, but everything will go through the Windows 10 store.

For more details, click here. Meanwhile, don't forget to check out all of our previous coverage of the cover-shooter by clicking right here.

Gears 5 will be available on PC (via Windows 10 and Steam) and Xbox One on September 10 when it launches globally.