Microsoft Canada launched #GearsSquadGoals, a contest running through October 10 to get Gears fans ready for the next saga, Gears of War 4.
The contest gives Gears of War fans the opportunity to ”band together and showcase their passion for the franchise in hopes of unlocking the ultimate crew trip.”
The ultimate trip in question? The winner and three friends will see Run the Jewels perform in Austin, Texas at the SOS Music Festival, or receive the VIP treatment at a Gears of War eSports event in London, England.
The hip hop group Run the Jewels debuted a new song in the Gears of War 4 Horde 2.0 premiere trailer, and the duo are also going to be playable characters in multiplayer in Gears of War 4.
To enter, fans will have to complete a variety of challenges with their squad, ranging in difficulty from Novice to Extreme.
Following particular social media accounts like @XboxCanada and taking pictures of specified activities, like two squad-mates enjoying a Gears of War-branded Rockstar energy drinks, are considered to be Novice Challenges, among others.
Intermediate Challenges require more time and involvement than the Novice Challenges do, and some even need a little commitment. Would you cut a Gears of War COG into your hair for 30 entries, or sing an original Gears of War theme song and post it online for 20?
There is only one aptly named Extreme Challenge, titled so because of its difficult requirements: Complete every single challenge. Completing the Extreme Challenge will reward the “ultra-dedicated soldier” with 500 entries into the contest draw.
To get around the fact that some of these challenges do indeed require a purchase, like the challenge that requires an assembly of Gears of War copies, an original handwritten 100-word essay may be mailed in instead.
Once a challenge is completed, photo or screenshot proof must be taken and posted on Instagram or Twitter with #GearsSquadGoalsContest to be automatically entered.
Scouring the Terms of Service revealed that although submissions can be posted on both Twitter and Instagram, contestants will only be awarded contest entries for the first submission related to each challenge. Additionally, each person in a “squad” may enter individually with the same photo for the same challenge and also receive entries. Whether this will cause tension between squad-mates, considering a different squad may be used for each challenge, is yet to be seen.
To enter, you must be over the age of majority in your territory of residence, and you have until the end of October 10, 2016. Gears of War 4 is set to release a day later on October 11 for Xbox One and PC, and winners of #GearsSquadGoals will be notified on October 17, 2016.
