Update: The tech test is now live, though it appears there have been a few bumps in the road. In addition to issues with long queues, some players have reported being kicked from servers due to inactivity—even while they were actively playing.
There have been a few other errors reported, so you might want to follow The Coalition Studio's twitter feed, where they've been providing regular updates. There's also a FAQ with known issues and troubleshooting tips.
As a reminder, to participate you'll need to have an Xbox Game Pass subscription or have pre-ordered Gears 5.
Original story: The Coalition has announced the details of the upcoming Gears of War 5 "Versus Multiplayer" tech test, which is scheduled to begin on July 19. The test will give players access to the Arcade, "a new approachable, frenetic Versus experience," plus the Escalation and King of the Hill game modes, on two new multiplayer maps. There's also a new Bootcamp training mode, and a "mini Tour of Duty" that will enable players to unlock exclusive "Tester Weapon Skins" for use in the full game.
"This Technical Test allows us to stress test our servers over two focused Test Periods to ensure the best possible experience when large volumes of players rush in at launch," the studio said.
"For our PC fans, it gives us a critical opportunity to get the game onto PCs with unique combinations of hardware and software at scale. If any unforeseen issues arise, it gives us the opportunity ahead of launch to identify and address any issues ahead of release. And of course, getting the Tech Test into your hands means we can gather your valuable feedback on each of the three modes to inform our development as we march towards launch day and beyond."
Here's what you'll need to run the tech test:
Minimum:
- OS: Windows 10 May 2019 Update
- CPU: AMD FX-6000 Series or Intel i3 Skylake
- GPU: AMD Radeon R9 280 or RX 560, or Nvidia GTX 760 or GTX 1050, 2GB VRAM
- RAM: 6GB
- HDD: 15GB
Recommended:
- OS: Windows 10 May 2019 Update
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 or Intel i5 Skylake
- GPU: AMD Radeon RX 570 or RX 5700, or Nvidia GTX 970 or GTX 1660 Ti, 4GB VRAM
- RAM: 8GB
- HDD: 15GB
Ideal:
- OS: Windows 10 May 2019 Update
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 or Intel i7 Skylake
- GPU: AMD Radeon VII or Nvidia GTX 2080, 8GB VRAM
- RAM: 8GB
- HDD: 15GB SSD
To access the test, you'll need to either subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Game Pass for PC, or preorder the game from the Windows Store or select physical retailers, although that probably won't do you much good for the PC edition. No mention is made of the Steam release, but since the announcement specifies Windows Store preorders my assumption is that the test will not be offered there.
The tech test was originally expected to begin on July 17 but that's actually when it will become available for preload—to access it, search for "Gears 5" in the Windows Store. (And yes, that's the official instruction: If you want it, go look for it.) The tech test will run over two weekend sessions, the first from 10 am PT on July 19 through July 21, and then at 10 am PT on July 26 through July 29.
