Since it first released in 2019, The Coalition has been updatingGears 5with new seasons of content called “Operations.“Operation 3, released in March, added multiplayer characters Augustus Cole and Clayton Carmine, new maps, a capture-the-flag mode called Gridiron, and more. Operation 4 released yesterday, and among its additions are a complete revamp of the game’s store with new ways to earn content.
A blog post put out by The Coalition highlights a number of radical changes toGears 5’s systems in the name of creating a simpler, easier way to get content for players who “felt limited” by time and wanted to meaningfully invest in the game. The scrap and supply systems, which it said were “overly complicated” and did not always provide players the items they wanted, are gone. So is the Totem system, making it so characters can be unlocked whenever someone gets any skin associated with them.
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The Gears store has been retrofitted to make every item from every Operation “permanent” and available alongside new content that will continue to be added every week. That new content will initially only be available through Iron, but after that a new currency called Gears Coins can unlock “nearly every item,” barringsome esports packsand other select bundles. All of a player’s scrap and Totem progress is being converted into Gears Coins, but the currency can be earned by progressing in the game’s battle pass, known as the Tour of Duty.
Simplifying the experience for its playerbase and making it easier to unlock old content is a smart move for The Coalition, especially asGears 5continues through its long life. It’s also a good decision for the future, asGears 5has Xbox Series X Smart Delivery, meaning it will be available on the next-generation console for those who already own it.
The Coalition has been putting out a steady stream of balance updates and new content to encourage its fanbase to keep playing, with some of that being available for a limited time. One example was when it added theBatista Bomb finisher as free DLCin April, referencing WWE star Dave Bautista’s iconic move through the character based on him.
ThoughGears 5has been a successful game, as has the recent spin-offGears Tactics, the future of the series has been in flux. In February,studio head Rod Fergusson left Microsoftto oversee Blizzard Entertainment’sDiablofranchise.
Gears 5is available now on PC and Xbox One.
