The day you’ve all been waiting for is here. E3 has arrived and we’ve already dropped a metric ton of Gears 5 announcements including the most important of all:

Gears 5 will release on September 6th through Early Access, and September 10th worldwide.

After a year of waiting (for us as well!), the time has finally come to talk about Gears 5. Thank you so much for your passion and excitement about our game. It truly means a lot.

Now enough with the soppiness. Let’s get right into the Gears 5 goodness!

Escape

Did you see this coming? Our biggest announcement of the show was the reveal of our new 3 player Co-Op Mode called Escape.

Escape is unlike any Gears PVE mode you’ve played before. After being abducted by a Snatcher, your mission is to plant a venom bomb in the very heart of the Swarm Hive and then fight through the Swarm to get the hell out – before the Venom kills you.

For the first time in Gears history, you will also have the power to create, play and share your own Gears maps for Escape with a brand new tool – Map Builder.

But we know why you’re reading right now. You want gameplay. You want all the details. Well, read on dear Gears fan.

IGN First

A whole month of Escape coverage is on the way exclusively through IGN First!

Head on over to the Gears 5 IGN First Hub now to see the first ever impressions of Escape or check out their first 14 minutes of Escape gameplay above. Make sure to bookmark IGN’s Gears 5 page and check back all month long for even more Escape coverage, gameplay and details you won’t want to miss.

Live Escape Gameplay From E3

On top of the extensive coverage from IGN over the coming weeks, there’s still lots more Escape to come from E3.

Rod joined WWE Superstars Austin Creed, Tyler Breeze and AJ Styles for a special ‘Live From The Hive’ Escape stream Sunday evening at E3. Check it out below.

Why Live From The Hive? Because we built one in the orchestra pit. No, really.

And if that’s not enough gameplay for you, Creators at E3 will also get the chance to capture and release their own footage of Escape!

Play Escape At Select Microsoft Stores

If you’re not at E3, your dreams of playing Escape early could still be a reality.

We’re really excited to share that Gears 5’s Escape Mode will be available to play from Sunday, June 9th (2:30 pm PDT until close) until Tuesday, June 11th (12:30 pm PDT until close) at 15 select Microsoft Stores across North America. Check with your local store for hours of operation.

Here’s the full list of participating stores:

Los Angeles, CA – Century City​

Miami, FL – Dadeland Mall​

Orlando, FL – Florida Mall​

Oak Book, IL – Oakbrook Center​

Schaumburg, IL – Woodfield​

Natick, MA – Natick Mall​

New York, NY – 5th AVE​

Dallas, TX – NorthPark Center

Houston, TX – Houston Galleria​

San Antonio, TX – La Cantera​

Tysons, VA – Tysons Corner Center​

Bellevue, WA – Bellevue Square​

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Plaza Las Americas​

Vancouver, BC – Metropolis at Metrotown

Toronto, ON – Yorkdale Shopping Centre​

Gears 5 E3C Panel: The Cast Of Gears 5

Tune in for a special Gears 5 Panel live from the E3 Coliseum on Tuesday, June 11th from 10:00 – 11:00 am PDT for an inside look with Rod Fergusson and the cast of Gears 5. Learn more at https://www.e3expo.com/e3-coliseum

5 Ways To Play

Today is just the beginning of a long conversation about Gears 5 that takes us from today right through to launch on September 10th. We cannot wait to tell you more about this game.

While this month is all about Escape and Map Builder, here’s what to expect to hear about – and when – on the Road to Launch.

Versus – July

Gears 5 Versus will debut with a bang with ELEAGUE, culminating with the ELEAGUE Summer Series Live Tournament on July 13-14 where 8 of the world’s top Gears teams will face off in an epic showdown in the first Gears 5 tournament EVER.

Versus mode will also be playable in July during the Gears 5 Tech Test. Join us to be one of the first to play our all-new competitive game type Arcade – a frenetic experience built for jump-in, over-the-top fun – and more!

Access to the Gears 5 Tech Test is included with Xbox Game Pass or by pre-ordering at participating retailers, including the Microsoft Store.

Horde – August

Horde mode will return in August with a hands-on gameplay debut at gamescom, featuring new character abilities that can turn the tide of the battle.

Campaign – September

Play the Gears 5 Campaign beginning September 6 through Early Access.

With all-out war descending, Kait Diaz breaks away to uncover her connection to the enemy and discover the true danger to Sera – herself.

This is the biggest Gears campaign ever and the first to feature three-player split-screen campaign co-op.

While these represent the major pillars of the Gears 5 experience, there’s still plenty of details in between that we’ll be covering when we can.

Our goal over the next three months is to bring you a comprehensive look at Gears 5, leading you deeper into the game than we’ve ever done before a Gears game’s release. Expect streams, detailed blogs, answered questions and PLENTY of gameplay.

Gears 5 Editions

The full version of Gears 5 will release with the Standard Edition of the game on Xbox Game Pass on September 10, 2019. But if you want in earlier than that, we’ve got some exciting news for you.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will get access to the Ultimate Edition version of the game at no extra cost. That means you get to start playing on September 6, 2019 and enjoy all of the Ultimate Edition bonus content including an exclusive Ultimate Edition Character Pack and 30 Days of Boost!

Here’s a simple breakdown of the different editions available for Gears 5:

Gears 5 for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscribers (Digital)

Play on September 6, 2019

Ultimate Edition Character Pack

30 Days of Boost

Gears 5 Ultimate Edition (Digital)

Play on September 6, 2019

Ultimate Edition Character Pack

30 Days of Boost

Gears 5 Ultimate Edition (Physical)

Play on September 6, 2019

Ultimate Edition Character Pack

30 Days of Boost

Exclusive Steelbook

Gears 5 Sticker Sheet

Gears 5 for Game Pass Subscribers

Play on September 10, 2019

Gears 5 (Physical or Digital)

Play on September 10, 2019

We know playing the moment Gears 5 goes live is important to our fans, so Gears 5 will be available to pre-install for both Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers just like you would with a digital pre-order.

What Is Boost?

We’re sure you have questions about what ’30 Days of Boost’ means in the Ultimate Edition version of Gears 5.

But what exactly is Boost? Customization, Boost and Unlocks will be talked about in-depth in the coming weeks and months. Just know, it is not required to earn any content, nor does it give you access to a ‘premium’ selection of unlockable items that those without Boost cannot access.

This pre-order bonus is next level. We’re so excited about this.

We’ve teamed up with Skydance Media to bring a special Terminator Dark Fate Character pack, including Sarah Connor and the T-800 endoskeleton from the film, to Gears 5. Yes, really!

If you want to secure both characters for your Gears 5 collection, along with a bonus Vector Lancer Skin and 7 Days of Boost, all you need to do is download and play Gears 5 from Xbox Game Pass before September 16, 2019 or pre-order any version of Gears 5.

Road To Gears 5

Back in March, we gave you the opportunity to play Gears of War 4 to earn Gilded RAAM and take him with you into Gears 5. Well Gears fans, that was just the beginning.

Between now and launch, we’ll be offering up 10 (!!) more opportunities to earn content to take into Gears 5, including FIVE more Gilded Characters and a whole bunch of bonus customization items.

While Gilded RAAM was meant to be for the most hardcore dedicated Gears 4 players out there, the remaining Challenges have been designed to be more approachable and achievable for everyone – though respectable in their own right.

The first 5 Challenges will go live in Gears of War 4 tomorrow, June 10th, at 10am PT.

The last 5 Challenges will go live on August 1st at 10am PT.

All 10 Challenges end on September 2nd at 10am PT.

Look out for our dedicated Road To Gears 5 page launching tomorrow for full info on all the Challenges. Oh, and if you’re wondering what those bonus customization items are, we’ll be talking about that more when we reveal Versus next month. We won’t keep you waiting long.

New Gears 5 Swag

Gears 5 Collector’s Edition

Let’s jump straight to the big guns – the GameStop Exclusive Gears 5 Collector’s Edition!

The Gears 5 Collector’s Edition’s star of the show is the Limited-Edition RC Jack Drone complete with stand. That’s right –Jack can zoom around your home or anywhere you can fly a drone with it’s a six-axis gyroscope flight system and LED lights.

Jack also comes packed alongside an array of collectibles straight from Damon Baird Industries: a DBi ID Badge with Gears 5 lanyard, an embroidered DBi patch, a DBi collector’s booklet, an original Jack schematic print and an exclusive in-game Jack skin.

The Collector’s Edition also comes with a copy of Gears 5 Ultimate Edition packed in a steel book case featuring incredible artwork by the legendary Alex Ross.

The Collector’s Edition is exclusive to Gamestop and pre-orders are now open! If you’re at E3, you can also check this out in person at both the Gamestop booth and the Xbox booth.

Gears x Aape

Announced this past Friday on Xbox Wire, Gears is partnering with AAPE for a limited-run shirt and hoodie that are available at the Xbox E3 Booth, while supplies last.

And that’s not all the apparel we have for you – keep an eye out on the Xbox Gear Store for a few more prints and styles going live in the next couple days.

Tsume Collectible Statue

Tsume is releasing a Gears statue that is immensely detailed from every angle.

Marcus takes on RAAM on a pile of history, blood, sweat, and tears. Measuring up at an astounding 23.62 inches wide and 29.13 inches tall, this is quite the collectible. These images do it a fair amount of justice, but to truly appreciate the scale of this thing, you’ll want to check this bad boy out in person at the Mixer booth at E3 if you can! Pre-orders are open now via Tsume.

Finally, get your hands on a piece of Gears 5 ahead of its release by taking home a poster featuring the Key Art. Queen Myrrah, Marcus, JD, and Del, with Kait front and center. What mysteries lie in the details? You tell us. Posters can be ordered today via Amazon.

As you can imagine, there is a metric ton of Gears 5 collectibles, merch, and swag coming your way. Stay tuned on our socials for more in the coming months and don’t forget the items we’ve already announced:

Phew! That’s a ton of news from just DAY ZERO of E3. Stay tuned for even more Gears goodness to come throughout the week and beyond. We’ve only just begun.

Psst… only 89 Days to go until Gears 5 Early Access.

TC, out.