Gears of War 4 Beta Code Distribution Runs Into Problems

The Gears of War 4 multiplayer beta officially began yesterday on Xbox One, but its rollout hasn't gone exactly to plan. People who played Gears of War Ultimate Edition on Xbox One or PC before April 11 were supposed to receive their codes in chronological order based on when they played. But...

"Microsoft Operations had an issue [on April 18] with their code drop and unfortunately the codes will not be distributed in chronological order as originally messaged," Gears of War 4 developer The Coalition said in a forum post. "We will be doing another code drop [evening of April 18] to help address some of the issues. As noted before, codes will be going out in waves as we ramp up our servers through the beta."

Beginning today, April 19, The Coalition will deliver a "higher volume" of codes in an effort to make up for the issue, as well as some server problems that popped up on the first day of the beta.

Even more Gears of War 4 beta codes will go out on Wednesday and Thursday, by which time everyone who played Gears of War Ultimate Edition before April 11 should receive their token.

"We apologize for the confusion during this process and we are looking forward to seeing everyone in-game during the beta," The Coalition said.

If you didn't play Gears of War Ultimate Edition, you'll still be able to play Gears of War 4's beta. After the early access period ends on April 24, an open beta will begin on April 25 and run through May 1.

Alternatively, if you're attending PAX East in Boston this week, you can play the game's multiplayer mode at the show. For lots more on the Gears of War 4 beta, check out this detailed FAQ.

While you wait to get in to the beta, you can check out this video that covers eight tips to help you succeed. Players who reach level 20 in the beta will berewarded with special content when Gears of War 4 launches in October.

For more on Gears of War 4, check out the stories below.

• Gears of War 4 Multiplayer Plays It Safe (For Now)
• Gears of War 4 Devs on Making Multiplayer Matter, Not Taking Story Too Seriously
• Gears of War 4 to Include Microtransactions
• Gears of War Multiplayer Has Been "Under-Served," Producer Says
• See Gears of War 4's Beta Maps in New Video
• Get Ready for Gears of War 4 Beta With These Eight Tips