September 5 is not the official Gears of War 5 release date but Microsoft is making it possible to play early.
For anyone who is happy to wait until next week, the official launch time is set for September 10 on Xbox One.
For anyone wanting to start their adventure early, September 5 can be your Gears 5 early access time.
According to the latest news shared by Microsoft, Gears 5 early access is available in three different ways.
(it should be noted that two are different merely due to physical and digital purchase.)
For gamers who want Gears 5 early access, this can be achieved through having an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, or a pre-order of Gears 5: Ultimate Edition.
The Ultimate Edition comes with early access and will make it possible to start playing today, at 9pm local time.
The other way to bag an early copy of Gears 5 is by checking out your local retailer and finding out which ones are putting the game on sale early.
For example, Best Buy in the United States is doing this for a number of games in 2019.
The official website confirms that the Gears 5 Ultimate Edition will be available to buy at 9pm from their stores on September 5. The Standard Edition will be available to pick up at the same time on September 9, a few hours earlier than the digital version.
There have been a few conflicting reports on when the Ultimate Edition will start early access and whether it will be on September 5 or 6.
Here’s the latest news shared by Microsoft on Twitter, telling fans: “We’re about to drop the biggest Gears EVER. Get ready for Gears 5.
“Start playing Sept. 5th at 9pm local time with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Gears 5: Ultimate Edition Early Access.”
Adding: “Gears 5 supports cross-play across Xbox One and PC (Microsoft Store and Steam) for Campaign co-op, Versus, Horde and Escape.
“Ranked Versus Play also supports cross-play, though players on console will have the option to disable cross-platform ranked play should they choose to do so.”
(Meanwhile, the official Microsoft site states that Gears 5 will launch on the Ultimate Game Pass on September 6.)
For those wondering what Ultimate Game Pass is, it’s a combined bundle that includes Xbox Game Pass for Console, Xbox Game Pass for PC and Xbox Live Gold.
Purchasing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate automatically upgrades your existing Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass memberships to Ultimate at a conversion ratio each based on days remaining.
Gears 5 Game Details from Microsoft:
From one of gaming’s most acclaimed sagas, Gears is bigger than ever, with five thrilling modes and the deepest campaign yet.
Three-player Campaign Co-op: Battle alongside your friends in three-player online or split-screen co-op.
Tours of Duty: Rank up from new recruit to four-star general in Gears Tours of Duty. Take on new and exciting challenges, earn awesome rewards, and show off your loot.
Boot Camp: New to Gears or just a little rusty? Bootcamp is a fun way to learn the ropes, from the basics to advanced combat techniques.
Play as Jack: Play as Jack, your personal flying support bot that can protect allies and damage enemies – perfect for players new to Gears.
Visual Showcase: Play every mode in 4K and HDR at a smooth 60 frames per second on Xbox One X.