Gears of War is one of those video game franchises like Call of Duty or Halo, and they will always have some new version on the market. The latest offering of Gears of War 4 is due out for a late 2016 release date, and this is what is known about the beta test as well as its planned sequels.
We'll start with what will Gears of War 4 be about? In case you haven't heard, it will take place on a planet called Sera, which is a planet within the universe populated by humans, about 25 years after events on Gears of War 3. The action will focus on JD and Kait, with JD being the son of Marcus Kenix, a character from previous incarnations of the game. The story is one of survival, as JD and Kait must survive the threat of the Locust, all within a 24-hour period.
Vine Report says that The Coalition Studio Head Rod Fergusson revealed that Gears of War 4 had a different direction when under Epic Games. It is possible that Epic's plan for Gears of War 4 would be a more mobile and PC-centered game and not anything console based. That has changed since Microsoft acquired the right so that The Coalition could do the game back in 2013.
The current goal of the game is to give its players a rich storyline, as well as reports that Gears of War 4 is to have a story that will lay the foundations for a new trilogy. Chuck Osieja, the creative director of the sequel, has stated that there is a foundation for not just a trilogy, but a much larger universe. Fergusson has stated that they don't want to have "alternate planets and things like that" but wanted to stay on Sera.
According to WCCF Tech, the Gears of War 4 multiplayer beta has been detailed, and it involves a testing phase that will being on April 18. Anyone who has played the Gears of War Ultimate Edition (an Xbox One remake of the first game in the series) before April 11 can get access to the beat, which will be in the early access state until April 24th, where it will be opened up for all eligible Xbox Live Gold members. Then the testing period will end on the first of May. It should be known that Microsoft has not revealed how Xbox Live Gold members will be considered eligible, so if you want to be a part of this early beta, then you will need to purchase the Gears of War Ultimate Edition.
So, will it have a PC edition? That is also not confirmed, but Fergusson has at least hinted to the possibility. There isn't any possibility of Gears of War 4 coming to Xbox 360, which is to be expected from the old generation of console. The actual game is expected to roll out in Fall or Holiday of 2016, and there will probably be some Deluxe and Collector's Editions as the release date gets more solidified.
