Gears of War 4 early access launched

Today fans who purchased Gears of War 4: Ultimate Edition can experience the beginning of the new Gears saga four days before the Oct. 11 global launch with early access on Xbox One and Windows 10. In addition to early access, Gears of War 4: Ultimate Edition owners get the Gears of War 4 Season Pass, which includes the exclusive Vintage VIP Pack featuring Vintage JD and two Vintage weapon skins; permanent access to 24 additional DLC maps (two per month for a year) for private play on dedicated servers; an exclusive Developer Playlist that grants access to new maps, modes, and features that can be tested prior to broad release; and a 17-pack Starter Airdrop (which unlocks character and weapon skins, emblems, equipment and boosts for Horde and Versus).

Gears of War 4 encourages players to "Never Fight Alone" with cross-play on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC across all modes (campaign, Horde and Co-op versus) and versus multiplayer cross-play in private matches. As an Xbox Play Anywhere title, you'll get both versions with one digital purchase and be able to switch seamlessly between them, as all game progress, Gamerscore and Achievements are saved on and accessible through Xbox Live. Whether you enjoy battling the Swarm in co-op, fending for survival in the new Horde 3.0 mode or testing your skills in frenetic Versus multiplayer matches running in 60 FPS on dedicated servers, Gears of War 4 is the ultimate game to play with friends.

For a sneak peek at the campaign, check out the first 20 minutes in the following prologue gameplay video: