Set on the fictional planet of Sera, the “Gears of War” series charts the story of humanity’s struggle against fearsome and brutal adversaries through a captivating tale of hope, comradery and survival.

After narrowly escaping an attack on their village, JD Fenix and his friends, Kait and Del, must rescue the ones they love and discover the source of a monstrous new enemy. “Gears of War 4” returns the franchise to the dark tone and intensity of the original and includes split-screen and online co-op, the next generation of five-player favorite, Horde Mode, 60 frames-per-second Versus multiplayer, and stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 4.

Gears of War players can compete in marquee live open events around the world operated by world-class tournament organizers Major League Gaming (MLG) and Gfinity for a starting $1,000,000 in cash prizes.

Players worldwide can earn “Gears Pro Points” by competing in regional MLG GameBattles online ladders and in daily and weekly tournaments. Gears Pro Points qualify players for the international circuit open LAN events that take place every 1-2 months from the Gears of War 4 game launch in October 2016 to July 2017. The Gears Pro Circuit features more international crossplay and competition than ever before in Gears of War history as top teams from North America, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania will qualify via Gears Pro Points to be flown around the world to compete against each other at these events. Teams that don’t qualify for the top travel spots will still be able to compete at local events or any international event of their choosing.

Gears of War players will enjoy large open events with a double elimination format playing the new Escalation competitive game mode (5v5) on Gears of War 4.

This year’s international circuit includes some exciting stops around the world including London, Paris, Columbus, Mexico City, and Las Vegas. Listing of marquee live events and prize pool breakdown:

Date	City	Partner	Teams	Prize Pool (USD)
November 25-27, 2016	Columbus, USA	MLG	108+	$250,000
December 17-18, 2016	London, United Kingdom	Gfinity	32	$100,000
Spring 2017	Mexico City, Mexico	Gfinity	32	$75,000
Spring 2017	Columbus, USA	MLG	16	$100,000
Spring/Summer 2017	Paris, France	Gfinity	32	$75,000
Summer 2017	Las Vegas, USA	MLG	108+	$250,000

An additional $100,000 event will take place at a surprise location during the program for a minimum of 7 LAN events over the course of 10 months. Players around the world will also be able to compete online for a starting $50,000 in online prizes for weekly tournaments.

The $1,000,000 starting prize pool is just the beginning. Gears of War fans will also be able to purchase cosmetic digital in-game content to support Gears eSports. Plus, Gears eSports will collaborate with popular eSports team organizations to bring their brands into cosmetic digital in-game content that fans can wear and equip. Gears eSports also looks forward to working with local and grassroots tournament organizers on more events during the program where players can have additional opportunities to earn Gears Pro Points.

Every week, fans from around the world can tune into the Gears eSports Weekly Broadcast by MLG featuring live showcase matches from online tournament finals and key ladder matches. These weekly fight cards will feature the most exciting and relevant matches from North America, Europe, Latin American, and Oceania, showcasing up-and-coming amateur teams and your favorite Pro Teams. The Weekly Broadcast will also highlight key players, teams, and interesting storylines from around the world.

Key Features:

• New Story, Heroes and a Nightmare Reborn: The first chapter of an all-new “Gears” saga thrusts players into an epic and perilous journey through the wilds of Sera. Fight as JD Fenix – son of the legendary hero Marcus Fenix – as he embarks on a desperate mission with his friends Kait and Del to find their missing loved ones and confront a fearsome new threat.
• Never Fight Alone: Rev up your Lancer and fight your way through the Campaign with a friend over Xbox Live or via local split screen co-op, with the option to play as JD, Kait or Del. Cross Play lets Xbox One and Windows 10 gamers play together in cooperative modes like Campaign, Horde and Co-Op Versus.
• Shared Progression and Achievements with Xbox Play Anywhere across Xbox One and Windows 10: Cloud saves enable you to switch seamlessly between both versions of game, giving you the freedom to play where you choose. Both versions are included with a single purchase.
• Fight through a Dynamic and Deadly Environment: Brace yourself against ferocious windflares that blow away cover, bend your shots and drastically alter the battlefield, forcing you to employ new tactics. As the windflare intensity increases, each enemy confrontation evolves into a brutal fight for survival in this tale of Man vs. Monster.
• New Arsenal of Weapons and Combat Tactics: Pummel your enemies from cover with new close-cover combat moves like yank, vault kick and a bloody new combat-knife execution. Make use of dangerous new weapons, like the Buzzkill and Dropshot, to shoot around and over cover, raining destruction from all angles.
•  The Best “Gears” Multiplayer Experience Yet: Whether you enjoy powering through the co-op Campaign, fending for survival in Horde mode or testing your skills in frenetic Versus Multiplayer matches running in 60 FPS on dedicated servers, “Gears of War 4” is the ultimate game to play with friends.
  • Explosive Versus Multiplayer Action: Compete in intense multiplayer gametypes that reward social, competitive and professional players alike, including new modes like Dodgeball and the premier new competitive “Gears” multiplayer mode, Escalation. Track your progress with the new visible ranking system that drives online matchmaking and lets you stand out for your abilities.  
  • The Next Generation of Horde: Team up with up to four other players and weather the onslaught using class-based skills and dynamic fortifications. For the first time, you can build and deploy defensive weapons and fortifications anywhere on the map.
  • Play with Friends Against AI Foes: Fine-tune your skills in Co-Op Versus, where your match-made team of five squares off against increasingly punishing AI teams.
• The Complete “Gears of War” Collection: For a limited time, “Gears of War 4” (both digital and retail versions) will include the entire Xbox 360 “Gears of War” collection. Play through the original “Gears of War” trilogy and “Gears of War: Judgment” on Xbox One via backwards compatibility, amounting to over 50 hours of “Gears of War” gameplay.