The Coalition has revealed some new details on when beta codes for Gears of War 4‘s multiplayer beta will be going out. Those who played Gears of War: Ultimate Edition will receive early access but that will depend on when you started playing. If you played the game as early as August 2015, then you should receive your code on April 18th when they start being sent out. Late players will get theirs later but all codes should be sent out by April 21st.
This wave-based sending of codes is due to The Coalition wanting a “stable backend” during the early access period. “As you guys know, this is a real beta and not a marketing beta for us. We need to test backend, gameplay, and more within this beta. Due to this, we are planning on releasing early access codes out in waves to ensure we can have a stable backend for players during the early access period.”
And yes, you will get a reward for playing in the beta though what exactly that is will be confirmed later. A special livestream event will also be held on April 15th with “special guests” and the developer will share several keys to help viewers get in on the early access. More keys will be shared through the weekend as well.
Gears of War 4‘s multiplayer beta will enter early access on April 18th. This period will conclude on April 24th and all Xbox Live Gold members can join from April 25th to May 1st.