Today, we welcome Gears 5 fans to Sera as Gears 5 officially releases around the world. Gears 5’s Early Access period began on Thursday at 9pm local time and has been has been a hit with critics, who have describe the game as “a spectacular return to form” and “the best Gears of War game yet.” In addition to buying the standard edition, you can also play it now with Xbox Game Pass. If you haven’t already joined Xbox Game Pass, you get your first two months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $2 (and if you are already an Xbox Game Pass for Console or Xbox Live Gold member, you can also upgrade your existing pre-paid months and still get two months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $2).

“Gears 5 is the culmination of an incredible journey after three years of passion and dedicated work by our studio team,” said Rod Fergusson, Studio Head at The Coalition. “We set out to challenge expectations for when fans play a new Gears of War game, and are proud to share Gears 5 with the world.”

That’s just the beginning – after today’s launch, we’ll continue to use Operations to evolve your Gears 5 Multiplayer Experience with free new modes, maps, characters, customization items and more. With all of this free content, plus a regular cadence of exclusive cosmetic items in the Gears 5 Store, we think this will be the most dynamic and exciting post-launch Gears has ever had. Speaking of bonus multiplayer items, remember to download and play by September 16 to unlock the Terminator Dark Fate Character Pack.

For more information on the Gears of War franchise, stay tuned to Xbox Wire or follow Gears on Twitter @gearsofwar.