Gears of War 4 digital pre-orders go live; Ultimate Edition allows you to play four days early

Microsoft has started taking pre-orders in the Xbox Store for the digital versions of the Xbox One shooter Gears of War 4. Pre-orders have also gone live for the Ultimate Edition of the game, which will allow players access four days before its standard October 11 release date.

The standard edition of the game will cost $59.99 and includes a Vintage Del character skin as a pre-order bonus. However, the $99.99 Gears of War 4 Ultimate Edition also offers the game's Season Pass that allows owners to get one year of additional maps for free, along with other bonuses. More importantly, it offers owners a way to play the full game on Friday, October 7, instead of October 11.

The game's open beta test is scheduled to begin later today and will last until May 1.

John Callaham