Gears of War: Reloaded beta expanded following rocky start, adds more time and content

The original Gears of War is getting a fresh remaster later this year, but ahead of that, The Coalition is hosting a couple of multiplayer beta sessions to test out the returning features as well as new additions. While the first of these Gears of War: Reloaded technical tests just finished this weekend, all was not well with the experience, and the developer has now responded with a solution that should make fans happy.

For many that logged in during the weekend looking to jump into the classic team deathmatch mode across the maps Gridlock, Raven Down, and Gold Rush, what actually faced them were matchmaking issues. Reports of not finding players to fill the 4v4 rounds and staying in the "Finding Opponents" stage were many. If a game did connect, there were also reports of major lag spikes, disconnections, and stutters, making the multiplayer unplayable.

"We heard you," the development team said on a social media post. "More maps. More modes. More time."

While the next session will still run from June 20 through June 22, nine more hours have been added to the upcoming play session, with the ending set for 9pm PDT. The content has also been expanded, with Execution coming to the competitive playlist, while Canals will be there as a new map.

With that addition, the second weekend will carry classic Team Deathmatch as well as King of the Hill and Execution competitive modes across Gridlock, Raven Down, and Gold Rush maps.

There don't seem to be any plans on making the weekend an open beta though, with the only ways of gaining access still being Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscribers, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition digital owners, or having a Gears of War: Reloaded pre-order.

Gears of War: Reloaded launches on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Game Pass on August 26, 2025. It will also be a free upgrade to anyone who had purchased Gears of War: Ultimate Edition before May 5, 2025.