Gears 5 Multiplayer Open To All Xbox Live Gold Subscribers This Weekend

There's some good news for Xbox Live Gold, Game Pass, and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. The Gears 5 Versus Multiplayer Tech Test opens its servers for free all this weekend.

The multiplayer tech test runs from 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST / 7 PM CST on Friday, July 26 to the same time on Monday, July 29. You can get the Wreath Bloodspray reward by completing a full match on July 26 between 5:30-6:30 PM PT / 8:30-9:30 PM ET / 1:30-2:30 AM BST / 2:30-3:30 AM CST. Downloads for the multiplayer tech test can be done through the Microsoft Store for Windows 10 PC and Xbox One, sitting at approximately 10GB.

All four modes available during the game's last tech test--Arcade, Bootcamp, Escalation, and King of the Hill--will be available during this second tech test. A new mode, Tour of Duty--where you complete challenges to unlock exclusive Tester banners and weapon skins that carry over to the full game--will also be playable

A FAQ on the game's official website says the goal is "to test [the] servers handling an influx of players ahead of launch day." Developers The Coalition states that you "may encounter some queuing," as Gears 5 has an access queue system to preserve server stability.

Players reported several issues during last weekend's tech test, including difficulties spawning into games, random pop-up notifications, and more. The Coalition assured players on Twitter that the issues are being worked on, saying, "While we resolve some of the issues as soon as possible, you may see an increase to estimated wait time to get in. The actual wait time will decrease dramatically as we stabilize the services and let in more players."