In summary:

Gears of War 4 released worldwide on 11 October 2016Xbox One exclusive, and playable on Windows 10Set 25 years in the future, gamers play as new protagonist JD Fenix, son of Marcus Fenix (from previous Gears of War games)

Latest update: Developer The Coalition is releasing a patch to punish players who rage quit the online multiplayer – Read more

Gears of War 4 UK release date and platforms: When is Gears of War 4 being released in the UK?

Gears of War 4 UK release date: 11 October 2016 – on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. The biggest question on the lips of Gears of War fans is “When is Gears of War 4 being released in the UK?” and thankfully, we have an answer. Microsoft has announced that Gears of 4 will be available not only in the UK but worldwide from 11 October 2016, just over five years since the release of Gears of War 3. We’re just hoping that The Coalition, the developers of the game, don’t suffer from the same delays as PS4-exclusive Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, which has had multiple push backs. What about platforms? As with previous games in the Gears of War franchise, Gears of War 4 is an Xbox One exclusive – however PC gamers will be excited to know that through Xbox Play Anywhere you will be able to play GOW4 on your Windows 10 PC. You will need to purchase the Xbox Play Anywhere version of the game in order to play it on both Xbox One and Windows 10. Read next: How to play your Xbox One on Windows 10.

How to buy Gears of War 4 now – How to play Gears of War 4, Gears of War 4 deals, Gears of War 4 UK price

In order to play the game, you will need to purchase either the Standard or Ultimate Editions of the game, the latter including the DLC season pass and some exclusive digital bonuses. That DLC includes a selection of character skins and multiplayer booster packs, but most importantly new maps: 24 in total, with two released every month for a year. Gears of War 4 has adopted a novel pricing system though – you can actually play the maps online without purchasing the DLC, but only through the game’s default matchmaking. Buying the DLC gives you the ability to select the new maps at any time for play on private servers, as well as access to a Developer Playlist where new maps, features, and game modes are tested prior to release. In Title Update 3, out from January 2017, the game also introduces a new method to deal with rage quitters – aka players who quit a match as soon as they suspect they might be on the losing team. Anyone who leaves a match before it ends will face a temporary matchmaking ban – and the more often they do it, the longer the bans will become. Squads with suspended players will also be restricted from matchmaking until the ban is lifted. Thankfully, there’s also a way to avoid the penalty. The Join In Progress feature allows players to re-join a match within 5 minutes and thus avoid the ban – ideal for hotheaded players who immediately regret quitting, or simply for those who are dropped thanks to internet connectivity issues, and don’t want to be penalised for it. 

Gears of War 4 gameplay: What can we expect from Gears of War 4?

So, what do we know so far about the Gears of War 4 gameplay? Not a lot admittedly, but what we do know is enough to make us extremely excited to get our hands on it in October. Gears of War 4 was officially revealed back at E3 2015, and gave us a glimpse of what to expect, along with a more recent trailer which can be found at the top of this page. The game is set 25 years after the events of Gears of War 3, and gamers find themselves playing as JD Fenix, son of previous Gears of War protagonist Marcus Fenix, along with buddies Kait and Del. After the events of Gears of War 3 (SPOILER ALERT), the Imulsion Countermeasure weapon not only destroyed the Locust, but also damaged the planet of Sera. How? The human population dwindled, with mankind surviving in walled cities under martial law – and we can already assume how that ended up. Of course, just like his dad, JD Fenix is pretty handy with a gun and fights monsters, and this is what we saw in the first trailer.

The E3 2015 gameplay trailer showcased JD Fenix and Kait fighting off a swarm of aliens in a Gothic backdrop, however, gunplay wasn’t the only feature on display. The video showed off the varying weather effects of Gears of War 4, from light breezes to heavy windstorms that should effect gameplay in different ways. The second trailer doesn’t give away much with regards to gameplay, but instead tells an (albeit brief) story about JD Fenix both as a boy and now, with a cover of the classic song “The Sound of Silence” playing in the background. It’s emotional, but in a good way.

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Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.