Gears 5 is getting rid of the season pass, controversial Gear Packs
Gears 5 will not carry on the series tradition of offering extra content as part of a season pass.
In a development blog, Gears 5 developer The Coalition discussed the high-level plans for post-launch support and progression in the game.
For starters, Gears 5 is not getting a season pass. What's more, the Gear Packs system introduced in Gears 4 will not be returning in this year's game. Gear Packs were essentially card packs - bought with real money - that dropped ability cards for use in Horde mode.
As a result of this, all post-launch DLC maps will be accessible by all players, whether in regular matchmaking or private matches. The Coalition stressed that nothing you pay for in Gears 5 will come from RNG or blind boxes, so you'll know exactly what you're getting before you spend any money.
And spending money you shall, because Gears 5 includes a paid-for currency called Iron, which can be spent on direct-purchase cosmetics. Gears 5 also introduces the new Tour of Duty system. This is essentially a battle pass-like structure. Tour of Duty is a collection of daily challenges and seasonal medals that push you towards unlocking cosmetics, including character skins.
The developer says requirements and their goals will be clear, so it's easy to know exactly what you need to do in order to get the item you want. Like said battle passes, Tour of Duty also operates on a seasonal model. As you make progress through the tiers, you'll also earn Iron for use in the store.
Gears 5 does have a form of loot boxes, but they're only earnable through play. They're called Supply Drops and they reward you simply for playing. Duplicate drops are possible, but each dupe turns into Scrap, a currency used to craft items found in Supply Drops. They are not purchasable with real-world money.
Finally, The Coalition revealed that Gears 5 will offer timed boosts for sale. You'll find things like double multiplayer XP, double character XP, and double Supply Drop progression. These can be bought with real-world money.
Gears 5 is out September 10 on PC and Xbox One.