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 has a history of iconic campaign openings, from the prison break in the first Gears of War to Marcus’ nightmare flashback in Gears of War 3, and Gears of War 4 is no different. Check out the first gameplay of the epic opening to Gears 4’s campaign known as Prologue.

Dropping players straight into the action at the opening of the game, Prologue immerses you in a series of pivotal moments from the Gears of War universe never before seen in a Gears videogame – including Emergence Day and a key battle from the Pendulum Wars.

After a brief introduction by The Coalition’s Studio Head Rod Fergusson and Lead Campaign Designer Matt Searcy, our uncut gameplay of Prologue will have you joining the fight across three decades of Gears history: the COG’s raid on UIR forces to secure the Hammer of Dawn technology at Aspho Fields, Emergence Day at the House of Sovereigns, and the Locust’s siege of Anvil Gate.

Hosted by Paul Scheer (The League, Children’s Hospital), Jessica Chobot (Nerdist News), Larry Hryb (Xbox Live’s Major Nelson), Scott Robison (Mr. Sark), and Justine Ezarik (iJustine), “Gears of War 4: Live” will feature interviews with the game’s creators, including The Coalition Studio Head Rod Fergusson, as well as behind-the-scenes featurettes, exclusive gameplay, a special project by British inventor Colin Furze, and the reveal of hip-hop phenoms Run the Jewels’ in-game multiplayer characters.

Ninety digital copies of the Gears of War 4: Ultimate Edition will be given away during the 90-minute broadcast, allowing winners to play four days before the game’s worldwide launch on October 11.

The livestream will be broadcast on Xbox One, Xbox 360, Xbox.com, YouTube, Twitch, Facebook and Beam.

“Gears of War 4 is the beginning of a brand-new saga for the franchise that is loved by millions, so we wanted to make sure all of our fans around the world could participate in our launch celebration,” said Aaron Greenberg, head of game marketing at Xbox. “We hope you’ll tune into our live broadcast and help celebrate the best Gears game yet and Xbox’s biggest launch of the year.”

The Gears of War 4: Live broadcast will connect millions of fans around the world, allowing viewers to watch, comment and virtually participate. The program lineup includes:

• Run the Jewels Make Their Gears of War 4 debut. Renowned hip-hop duo Killer-Mike and El-P join The Coalition Studio Head Rod Fergusson to premiere the first look at their in-game multiplayer characters.
• Voice Actors’ Round Table. Join the voices behind JD Fenix and Kait Diaz – Liam McIntyre (Spartacus, The Flash) and Laura Bailey (Halo 5: Guardians, Final Fantasy XIII) – as they talk about the story of Gears of War 4 and how they approached the challenge of bringing a new generation of heroes to life for one of gaming’s most iconic franchises.
• Recreating a Gears Lancer. Renowned YouTube creator Colin Furze offers an inside peek at how he created a real-life version of Gears of War’s iconic weapon.
• Gears of War: State of the Universe. Since our last installment of Gears, a lot has happened on Sera. This retrospective piece will run fans through the entire story to refresh and whet fans’ appetite for the first chapter of a new Gears saga.
• Gears Ink 2.0. Join tattoo artist Steve Soto as he inks a member of the Gears of War team live during the show.
• The Art of War. Exclusive behind-the-scenes look at a special exhibition at the Nucleus Gallery in Los Angeles, featuring never-before-seen images from the Gears of War universe including concept art from Gears of War 4 and original artwork inspired by the series.
• Gears Cosplay. An inside look at how some of the most dedicated and passionate Gears fans in the world created some of the most stunningly intricate and authentic costumes you’ve ever seen.
• Treesicle. An exploration of the deeper side of Gears of War’s lore, highlighting the history of the planet Sera and the genocide of the Locust.
• PAX “First to 50” Competition Highlights. Relive all the best moments from the “First to 50” competition at PAX Prime as guests from Xbox and two superstar squads – captained by GoldGlove and FemSteph, and comprised of players including Actabunnifoofoo, SoVindictive, GuyBlaze, VernNotice, Falloutt, ImCoty, LucyMaeGames and Crream – compete to survive 50 brutal waves of the all-new Horde 3.0 mode.

Following the Gears of War 4: Live broadcast, fans can check out a special 90-minute “post-show” livestream on all the channels that carried the broadcast, including Twitch. The post-show program will feature creator commentary, live gameplay, and an eSports exhibition.

• Gears of War eSports Live Showcase – OpTic Gaming vs Infinity. In a battle of Gears eSports titans, the current top ranked team and a famed legacy top ranked team face off in a live competition to see who will dominate in Gears of War 4’s new heart-pounding competitive mode, Escalation.

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.