E-Day Open Beta Just Got Way More Exciting

The Gears of War: E-Day open beta just got a huge new game mode, as The Coalition has added PvP Versus to its early-access weekend following requests from fans. Gears of War: E-Day is the next major installment in Xbox’s long-running third-person shooter franchise, bringing the series back to the fan-favorite characters Dom and Marcus for a prequel story.

Fans who pre-ordered Gears of War: E-Day or subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate get the chance to play the game’s early access open beta from August 6 through August 10, with a second weekend from August 13 through 17 available for all players. Preloading is already underway on Xbox and PC, with some fans noticing that Horde Siege is now a separate download from the newly announced Versus mode that has made it to this weekend’s beta schedule. Previously, fans who pre-ordered E-Day only had access to Horde Siege, much to the community’s dissatisfaction.

Gears of War: E-Day Beta Adds PvP Earlier Than Expected

Ahead of the first multiplayer beta weekend for Gears of War: E-Day, The Coalition told fans via Twitter, “We hear you. We acted,” before confirming PvP versus would be playable from August 6 through August 10. The decision followed multiple complaints from players who believed early beta access would also include competitive multiplayer alongside Horde Siege, particularly after pre-release Gears of War: E-Day previews had already shown content creators playing Versus. Some fans on Reddit and Twitter said the Horde-only beta had reduced their enthusiasm, while others argued that the restriction had not been communicated clearly when early access was promoted as a pre-order bonus. As of now, the Versus client is available for fans to pre-download, but no official list of maps or game modes has been revealed yet.

According to The Coalition, Gears of War: E-Day‘s Versus mode has been rebuilt around 4v4 matches instead of the usual 5v5, featuring equal starting loadouts, Power Weapons, and new movement systems introduced in this entry. The full game will offer returning modes such as Team Deathmatch, Conquest, Demolition, and the Power Core-focused Crucible mode. As something of a departure from classic Gears of War games, the smaller team size and updated movement should make these beta tests particularly important for determining how closely the new competitive experience captures the tension and teamwork of the legacy titles the way The Coalition says it intends to.

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