‘Gears Of War 4’ Launches On October With Darker Tone And 2-Week Beta This April

For Xbox One gamers, Gears of War 4 is one of the most awaited titles this year. And Gears of War’s new developer has already dated the release of the franchise sequel on October 11, 2016, the Verge reports.

If you haven’t been up to date, Epic Games has already bequeathed rights of the Gears of War franchise to new studio The Coalition, formerly Black Tusk Studios, which was formed by Microsoft in 2014. This is exactly the same arrangement that Microsoft was able to strike with Halo 4, when it acquired rights to the Halo franchise and gave it to a newly-formed studio under its roof, 343 Industries. When Microsoft came out with the news that it’s acquiring rights to Gears of War 4 in January, 2014, they had yet to reveal news about the upcoming Gears of War game. But we are two years removed from that announcement and here we are, staring at Gears of War 4 in the face.

Almost a year after Gears of War 4 made a debut in E3 2015, Gears of War 4 is finally touching down. Adam Fletcher, Director of Community at The Coalition, says the following in a statement on Xbox Wire.

“Gears of War 4 marks the beginning of an epic new saga for one of gaming’s most celebrated franchises, as a new band of heroes rises to confront a fearsome new threat. Harkening back to the dark and intense roots of the original classic, fans can expect a familiar, yet distinct evolution of gameplay, including brutal and intimate action, a heart-pounding campaign, genre-defining multiplayer and stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 4.”

Sharpen your aim and start revving your lancers since Gears of War4 producer Rod Fergusson warns fans that Gears of War 4 is going to be even darker this time around. Gears of War 4 will be centered on new protagonists, Del, Kait, and JD (Marcus Fenix’ son), and tackles the era when the COG has been forced to round up the measly number of what’s left of humanity into walled cities.

“The Outsiders are a group of people who are purposefully stepping outside the COG and breaking free because they think life isn’t worth living unless it’s lived free … As we were conceptualizing The Outsiders, we initially started with the hippie movement, but then we realized we wanted them to have an edge and we started thinking of them more like this 1970s motorcycle gang.”

But not to worry, because the darker game will come with even badder weapons. The Dropshot and Buzzkill are two new brutal tools to look forward to in Gears of War 4, which can only hurt practically everyone (including yourself). We don’t want to spoil you with too much, but Gears of War 4 promises even scarier and more grotesque enemies are on their way—maybe even more horrible-looking than the Lambent Berserker and its gushing yellow liquid.

Have you been playing Gears of War multiplayer all this time to compensate for the lack of new Gears of War material to play with? If October is too far ahead for you, then look forward to the two-week-long beta coming this April. Those who have bought the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition remake on Xbox One or PC or will be doing so before April 10 at 6 a.m. BST will have the chance to get their hands on the Gears of War 4 beta, which will happen on April 18. If you are unable to get a ticket to the Gears of War 4 beta on the 18 because you are unable to purchase the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition (or refuse to do so), you can still have a chance to test your grimy hands on the Gears of War 4 beta on April 25 when it opens for everyone with an Xbox Live Gold subscription. The Gears of War 4 beta will end on May 1, 2016.

Or you can watch the six-minute E3 2015 sneak peek at Gears of War 4 below.

[Image via The Coalition/Microsoft]