Gears of War 4: The Q&A you were looking for.

Hey everyone!

We are extremely excited for the launch of Gears of War 4 on Xbox One & Windows 10 and with Xbox Play Anywhere and Cross Play between Xbox One and Windows 10. We hope you share that excitement and are ready to take on the Windflares and the Outsiders!

To prepare each of you to take on the Horde, we've put together a little FAQ to cover some questions you may have about the game.



Q: When does Gears of War 4 become available?

A: If you pre-order Gears of War 4 Ultimate Edition either Digitally or at Retail, you'll be able to enjoy the game a full 4 days early, starting on October 7, 2016. For all other editions of the game, you'll be able to enjoy the game on October 11, 2016.



Q: What are the different versions of Gears of War 4 available?

A: Here's a breakdown of the different versions available for the game.

Gears of War 4: Standard Edition (retail)

• Gears of War 4
• Vintage Del Pack*

Gears of War 4: Standard Edition (digital)

• Gears of War 4
• Vintage Del Pack*
• Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Character Pack

Gears of War 4: Ultimate Edition (retail)

• Gears of War 4
• Vintage Del Pack*
• Gears of War 4 Season Pass**
• Limited Edition SteelBook
• Early access to the game (starts on October 7, 2016)
  

Gears of War 4: Ultimate Edition (digital)

• Gears of War 4
• Vintage Del Pack*
• Gears of War 4 Season Pass**
• Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Character Pack
• Early access to the game (starts on October 7, 2016)
  

* The Vintage Del Pack features a Vintage Del character, a unique weapon skin, and other bonus items depending on the retailer. See your local retailer for details.

** The Season Pass includes an exclusive Vintage VIP Pack featuring Vintage JD and two vintage weapon skins, permanent access to 24 additional DLC maps (two per month for a year) for private play on dedicated servers, early access to an exclusive developer
playlist, and the Starter Airdrop, an assortment of 17 Gear Packs.

To use the character pack, you'll need to own Gears of War: Ultimate Edition on Xbox One. Once you complete your pre-order for Gears of War 4, you can download the character pack from the Xbox Store. To do this, search for “Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
Character Pack” in the Store and download it from the details page.

When you pre-order Gears of War 4, you'll see a placeholder tile in your game library. This is intentional. It’ll unlock on the day the game launches. See Pre-order
Xbox One games in the Xbox Store to learn more about managing your pre-order.



Q: What other Gears of War 4 items are available?

A: There is a Limited Edition Gears of War 4 Xbox One S console and Elite controller available. Here is some more details on those products.



Xbox One S Gears of War 4 2TB Bundle ($449 US):
MORE INFO

• Limited Edition 2TB console
• Limited Edition Crimson Omen controller
• Gears of War 4: Ultimate Edition
• Exclusive in-game items
• Six Gear Packs
• Season Pass

Gears of War 4 Xbox One Elite Controller ($199 US):
MORE INFO

• Xbox Elite Wireless Controller—Gears of War 4 Limited Edition
• Gears of War themed carrying case
• Set of 4 metallic red paddles
• Set of 6 thumbsticks: standard (2), tall (2), and domed (2)
• Set of 2 D-pads: faceted and standard
• Custom red and black USB cable
• Downloadable code for unique multiplayer lobby emblem and 3 Gear Packs
• AA batteries
• Quick Setup Guide and Product Manual

Q: I heard that if I buy and play Gears of War 4 that I can get Gears of War 1, Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3 and Gears of War: Judgement for free, is this true?

A: Yes! Here's how that will work.

Any customer who purchases Gears of War 4 digitally between April 25th and December 31st 2016 will receive codes for Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3 and Gears of War: Judgement.

• These codes will be delivered automatically around 7-10 days after the purchase has been made, starting on October 3rd 2016 for anyone who pre-ordered the game, and continuing until January 9th 2017.
  
• You must buy and play the game by December 31, 2016 to be eligible for this promotion.
  
• These games can only be played on Xbox 360 or Xbox One via Backward Compatibility – they cannot be played on Windows 10.
  
• Customers in Germany will not receive Gears of War 2 as this title has not been released in that region.
  
• Customers who purchase the physical game at retail will find codes for these games inside the box while supplies last.
  • Note: Gears of War 2 is not available in Germany and thus not included in this promotion for that region.
    

Q: Gears of War 4 is an Xbox Play Anywhere game. What Does that mean?

A: When you purchase an Xbox Play Anywhere game digitally, it’s yours to play on both Xbox and Windows 10. You only need to purchase the game once via the Store on your Xbox One console or Windows 10 device and it’ll appear in your game library
wherever you sign in.

If you purchased the game on Xbox and want to play it on Windows 10, sign in on your Windows 10 device. If the game is already installed on your device, it’ll appear in your list of apps. Otherwise, you can install it by opening the Store and selecting My
library.

If you purchased the game on Windows 10 and want to play it on your Xbox console, sign in on your console and go to My games & apps. If the game is already installed, it’ll appear in your game list. Otherwise, you can find it in the Ready to Install section.

To learn more about Xbox Play Anywhere, and to see which games are supported, visit the Xbox Play Anywhere website. You can also see Troubleshoot
problems with Xbox Play Anywhere games if you’re having any problems finding Gears of War 4 or content on your Xbox One or Windows 10 device.



Q: Does Xbox Play Anywhere cost extra?

A: No, there is no additional cost for Xbox Play Anywhere. When you buy an Xbox Play Anywhere digital game, the ability to play on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC is included at no additional charge.



Q: Will my game progress be saved on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC's?

A: Yes. When you play an Xbox Play Anywhere game, your game progress is saved on Xbox Live. So, you can pick up where you left off on another Xbox One or Windows 10 PC, bringing all your saves, game add-ons, and achievements with you.



Q: Can I be signed into the same game on Xbox One and my Windows 10 PC?

A: At any single point in time, you may only sign into the game on one Xbox One console or one Windows 10 PC. You cannot be signed into the same game on both an Xbox One console and a Windows 10 PC at the same time.



Q: Will my game progress be saved on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC's?

A: Yes. When you play an Xbox Play Anywhere game, your game progress is saved on Xbox Live. So, you can pick up where you left off on another Xbox One or Windows 10 PC, bringing all your saves, game add-ons, and achievements with you.



Q: Will downloadable content for Xbox Play Anywhere games also be playable on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC?

A: Yes. Downloadable content that you buy or earn for an Xbox Play Anywhere game that you own will also be playable on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. This includes game add-ons, Season Passes, consumables and in-game unlocks.



Q: Will I earn Gamerscore and Achievements twice if I play the game on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC?

A: No, only a single shared set of Gamerscore and Achievements will be earned and awarded for Xbox Play Anywhere games.



Q: Can I give away my Play Anywhere PC copy or let others use it while I use the Xbox version?

A: No, the PC version is tied to your purchasing account, and can only be logged in one place at one time.



Q: How many people can play Gears of War 4?

A: You can play the following ways.

• Co-op Local- 2 players
• Co-op Online- 2 to 5 players
• Multiplayer Online- 2 to 10 players
• Cross Platform Multiplayer is available between Xbox One and Windows 10
  

Q: Can I play cross platform between Windows 10 and Xbox One?

A: Yes, in some game modes. Crossplay opens up a wider community to play with than ever before across co-op modes. Here’s what to expect in Gears of War 4:

• Campaign: Play co-op campaign across Xbox and PC. Your saves and collectibles transfer to both platforms, allowing you to pick up the action regardless of which platform you play on.
  
• Horde: Fight the Swarm alongside your friends and find new allies in matchmaking from either Xbox or PC.
  
• Versus: Train up your skills in Co-Op Versus with friends from either platform. To preserve the competitive nature of Gears and individual balance for each platform, Crossplay is
  not enabled in standard Versus multiplayer.
  

Q: Can I play split screen on a Windows 10 device?

A: Yes! When playing local co-op/split-screen, the second player must play as a temporary guest profile though. All progress made by the guest profile is discarded after the game is exited, or if that player signs out. So keep that in mind while playing
the game.



Q: How to I enable Color Blind Mode in Gears of War 4?

A: From the Main Menu press the Menu button on the controller and highlight Accessibility. You'll then see an option to toggle this setting on and off.

Q: Gears of War 4 supports HDR content how do I enable this?

A: As long as you're using an Xbox One S and a 4K HDR 10 capable TV, this setting is turned on automatically. You can adjust the brightness setting from the Main Menu by hitting Menu on your controller, then scrolling to Video. You'll see the HDR brightness
slider on the screen here.

If you experience any issues with 4K and HDR content on your Xbox One S, be sure to check out this troubleshooting guide.

Troubleshooting 4K and HDR on Xbox One S



Q: What are some of the cool new game mechanics in Gears of War 4?

A: There is quite a few new gameplay mechanics and enhancements in Gears of War 4, here's a few key ones to mention.



1 – The Vault Maneuver (close cover combat)

• The vault maneuver helps players move through the environment faster and results in exciting execution moves when done properly.
  
• Players can hold Up and press B while running towards cover to smoothly hop over and keep running. This is great for closing gaps with enemies behind cover
  
• If you Vault directly into an enemy, you will stun them temporarily. Hold the Y button to perform a cool execution
  

2 – The Yank Maneuver (close cover combat)

• The yank maneuver helps players engage with enemies on the opposite side of a piece of cover and results in exciting execution moves when done properly.
  
• Players can hold Up and press B while in cover across from an enemy who is also in cover. If performed correctly, the player will pull the enemy over the cover and stun them temporarily, allowing you execute them by Holding Y
  

3 – Destructible Cover

• In a number of levels, cover that you and the enemy hide behind can be destroyed, exposing them to easy take downs. Swarm pods are a good example as there are large debris/wood piles that can be destroyed to help in getting the enemy out of cover
  and exposed to gunfire.

Q: I'm new to Gears of War 4 and I get stuck in story driven games from time to time, what should I do if I need help?

A: Anytime you feel stuck or need helping hand to get you to where you need to go, just pull out your Tac-Com by pressing the "LB" button on your controller. This will highlight your next objective in the game so you can traverse with ease.



Q: What is Horde mode?

A: Horde mode is Gears of War's co-op mode that pits a team of 5 allies versus waves of enemies and bosses. Players will need to cooperate with each other to build and defend fortifications to stay alive and reach the end.



Q: Can I play Horde Mode cross platform with players on Windows 10 as well?

A: Yes! You'll be able to team up with up to 5 players who are either playing on Xbox One or Windows 10 to create your dream team to fight the horde.



Q: What classes of characters can I play in Horde mode?

A: Unlike previous versions of Horde in Gears of War titles, Gears of War 4 features different character classes to bring out more co-op aspects in the game. Here's more info on the classes you can play as.

• Sniper: Starts with a Longshot and Markza sniper rifle and a Snub pistol. They focus on marksman weapons and long distance support. Snipers can use skills that improve headshots, precision damage, improved ammunition capacity, explosive
  rounds and faster reloads.
• Heavy: Heavies come equipped with a Retro Lancer, Boomshot, and Boltok pistol, and are designed to deal large amounts of damage across an area of effect. Heavies gain an advantage over larger enemies as a result, and can pick up abilities
  that increase various types of weapon damage.
• Scout: Scouts start with a Retro Lancer, a Gnasher shotgun, and a Snub pistol. Scouts are designed to roadie run around the map and collect power, which drops from defeated enemies. Power is spent on fortifications, which we'll get to in
  a minute. Some of the Scout's abilities include speed increases, extended capabilities in close range combat and improvements to power collecting.
  
• Soldier: Soldiers start with a Lancer, Gnasher, Snub pistol and grenades, and play like the classic Gears of War archetype. As an all-purpose class, Soldiers focus on killing enemies wherever they're found. Soldiers can improve things like
  explosive damage, ammo capacity, durability and reload speeds.
• Engineer: Engineers start with a sub-machine gun Enforcer, a Gnasher, and a Snub pistol. The Engineer is a little special, though, as they also come equipped with a repair tool. Engineers gain access to abilities that help them set up defensive
  fortifications such as barriers, turrets, and decoys. Some of the skills include increasing the damage of fortifications, their speed, durability, in addition to decreasing construction costs.
  

We hope this Q&A has helped you and your squad gear up for battle, but If you have any support related questions regarding Gears of War 4. Please make sure to head over to the Xbox One Support Forums for the help from the community at large.

:)

 

Lost Xbox-live messages.

Thanks for your help. The only thing I am waiting for now is the Gears of War 4 beta. Thanks for looking into this & thanks for your help with my other post & finding my Gears of War 3 code.

 

1329479942 - Reference number - Missing Gears of War Ultimate Edition Codes for 2 & 4

Hello, I contacted XBOX ONE support for invalid codes for Gears of War 2 & 4. I purchased the GOW Ultimate Edition bundle and received a working code for GOW 3 - but the codes for GOW 2 & 4 were invalid. Could I please request new codes for GOW 2 &4?

Thank you,

[Mod Removed Personal Info]