"Gears of War 4" PC and Xbox One players will get the chance to play together in the competitive multiplayer format for the first time this weekend. The weekend trial was created to see how cross-play works competitively and if developer The Coalition should add it in the near future. Cross-play is already available for both platforms but only for cooperative modes such as the Horde and Co-op Campaign. Players have also had the option of cross-play in private versus matches.
The event will reward players with additional experience (XP) for both wins and losses. Match wins will result in a 900 XP bonus, reaching 1500 XP while losses will be given 750 XP up from the usual 100. All of the competitive game modes will be playable during this period, including King of the Hill, Team Deathmatch, and Dodgeball. The latest downloadable content (DLC), the Drydock and Checkout maps will also be available in the trial.
Two new "Gears of War 4" multiplayer maps were also teased to be released this December. The two new maps are Speyer which is a map filled with old buildings, good for both close quarters and long range fights. The other map is called Glory which features a large artillery emplacement and numerous military monuments. Season pass owners will be able to download the new content as soon as they are available.
The fourth installment of the "Gears of War" franchise is set 25 years after the events of "Gears of War 3". The game released to positive reviews, and even earned nominations for Best Multiplayer as well as Best Action Game in the 2016's The Game Awards. Along with the latest maps to be released, hip-hop artist character skins were also released at the same time. With Christmas nearing, the game was also announced to have a 30 percent discount.
"Gears of War 4" was released last October and is available on the Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.