Gears of War 4 Is Coming in 2016 and the Gears of Wars: Ultimate Edition Multiplayer Beta Starts Now!

The Xbox E3 2015 Media Briefing closed with a bang today, as The Coalition studio head Rod Fergusson played Gears of War 4 live, announcing that it’s coming exclusively to Xbox One in holiday 2016. If you missed the moment live, re-live it above.

If you think that looks good, we’ve got more Gears goodies for you: Owners of the remastered Gears of War: Ultimate Edition – launching on August 25, exclusively for Xbox One – will receive early access to the Gears of War 4 multiplayer beta in 2016. And, more pertinently, Xbox Live Gold members can sign up for access to the Ultimate Edition multiplayer beta right now!

Experience the iconic adventure that launched one of the most celebrated sagas in gaming with Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, which thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the depths of the planet. Players step into the boots of Marcus Fenix, a disgraced former war hero who seeks personal redemption as he leads his fire team against an onslaught of merciless warriors from below.

The shooter that defined the first generation of HD gaming has been painstakingly remastered in breathtaking 1080p and modernized for Xbox One with all-new content, including five campaign chapters playable for the first time on Xbox, and heart-pounding, 60 frames-per-second multiplayer action. A modernized user interface and controls – based on Gears of War 3 – means improved input acceleration and haptic feedback on the Xbox One controller, as well as improved situational awareness features, sensitivity customization, and plenty of other new-gen perks.

The series’ genre-defining multiplayer returns in a big way, too – with 19 classic maps (including all the downloadable content and PC-exclusive maps!) remastered for Xbox One. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition also features newly added multiplayer modes, including Team Death Match, King of the Kill, and a special 2v2 mode designed by the Gears of War community. Returning modes include Warzone, Assassination, Execution and Annex. The game also features 17 unlockable Gears of War 3 characters in multiplayer.

And, best of all: The Gears of War: Ultimate Edition multiplayer beta kicks off today on Xbox Live, and runs through 11:00 a.m. PDT on Monday, June 22. Registration is open to all Xbox Live Gold members in participating markets, but please note this is a first-come, first-served experience. The Coalition will prioritize those first to register, and may not be able to fulfill all requests. This is a true beta that allows us to test all of the important functionality to ensure that we have a great online experience at launch, and we’ll be letting waves of fans in over several days as we test different content and backend services.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition brings back the first Gears of War at its absolute best, and all for just $39.99. Hop into the multiplayer right now, get the full experience on August 25, and then steel yourself for Gears of War 4’s 2016 launch!