If you yearn for 2006, steel yourself for Gears of War: Reloaded's multiplayer beta this coming weekend

I don't have children, but if I did, I'm pretty sure I'd love Gears of War more than them. That was always because of the campaigns and horde mode, but I'm still up for a few rounds of deathmatch—and if you're as eager as I am to revisit the gory glory of the Xbox 360 era, you won't have to wait long.

Gears of War: Reloaded's brushed up online multiplayer is hosting a pair of beta test weekends before the full game launches later this year: one from June 13-15 and another from June 20-22. There are three ways to access the tests, according to a blog on the Xbox website. You can pre-order Reloaded for your platform of choice, subscribe to Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass, or own a digital copy of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition purchased before May 5. It's worth noting that if you qualify under either of the latter two criteria, you'll have access to Reloaded on launch anyway.

The first weekend will feature team deathmatch on Gridlock, Raven Down, and Gold Rush maps, while the second will add Courtyard and War Machine in addition to King of the Hill mode on Canals.

If you've missed out on all this Reloaded business, it's (another) remake of the first Gears of War game from 2006. It packs in all the post-launch maps from previous editions, as well as 4K visuals, HDR, and crossplay. The full game comes out August 26, 2025, but that won't stop me from chainsawing some heads off with my friends this weekend.

If you're keen to blow away some Locusts one more time, Gears of War: Reloaded is available to pre-order on Steam.