Gears 5 multiplayer test starting soon: Here’s what to expect and how to join

By Aaron Mamiit Published July 7, 2019

Gears 5 will start its multiplayer test this month, which will give fans a wider glimpse into the upcoming and much-hyped new entry to the Gears of War series.

The Coalition, through an Xbox Wire blog post, said that the Versus Multiplayer Technical Test, will be available to download for the Xbox One and Windows 10 PC on July 17. It will then be active on July 19 to July 21, and again on July 26 to July 29.

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The multiplayer test will include Escalation, the updated competitive mode; Arcade, described as a new and approachable multiplayer mode; and King of the Hill, a fan favorite. Players will also be able to access the Bootcamp mode to practice their skills and learn the game’s new mechanics, and Tour of Duty, which is a series of challenges that will unlock an exclusive Tech Test Banner once completed.

To join the multiplayer test, gamers will need to have purchased Gears 5, either as a physical or digital pre-order, or as part of the Xbox Game Pass membership. The test will also require an active Xbox Live Gold subscription for the Xbox One.

The Coalition said that gamers may encounter some queueing when playing, which is expected since the multiplayer test will check the Gears 5 servers. The developer is hoping that the test will help make the game a great online experience upon launch, for all players and Xbox Game Pass members.

The hype for Gears 5 further escalated at E3 2019, where the game showcased its new co-op Escape mode that has three players working together as Hivebusters and clearing out the Swarm. The three playable characters in the mode have unique active and passive abilities, which encourages cooperation and makes each player’s role in the team a bit different compared to the others.

Gears 5 will also offer a new Horde mode, which will be playable on August 19 at Gamescom 2019. The mode will also include unique characters, similar to the game’s Escape mode.

Gears 5 will be released on September 10 for the Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, however, will gain early access to the game, four days before anybody else.

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