Gears of War 4 Beta Hits 1.6M Players, Game Expected to be Microsoft's "Biggest" of 2016

More than 1.6 million people played the Gears of War 4 beta on Xbox One, Microsoft revealed today as part of its April 2016 NPD announcements. The figure counts unique users, Microsoft clarified.

The Gears of War 4 beta ran for two weeks, kicking off in April. At the start, only people who met certain criteria got in, but the beta was extended to all Xbox Live users on April 25, before wrapping up for everyone on May 1.

In its statement today, Microsoft said it expects Gears of War 4 to be its "biggest game of the year." The game launches on October 11 exclusively for Xbox One, though a PC edition is "possible."

Overall, April 2016 was the "best month in history for global engagement on Xbox One," Microsoft said.

Looking ahead, Microsoft teased announcements for E3 2016 next month in Los Angeles.

"It's a great time for the industry, and we thank our fans for their continued support," Microsoft said. "We look forward to sharing more on our vision and plans for continuing to deliver the best gaming experience on Xbox One, Windows 10, and Xbox Live this year at E3 in June."

Here is exactly when Microsoft's E3 2016 briefing will be held.

For more on today's NPD report, check out the stories below.

• Top 10 Best-Selling Games in the US for April 2016
• PS4 Is #1 as US Game Console Sales Down 19 Percent in April 2016