Gears 5 Video Breaks Down How Free Post-Launch Content Will Work

One of the facets of Gears 5 that was touted since the beginning is that The Coalition's new game would move away from ill-received monetization schemes like season passes and loot boxes. Free content was the plan for post-launch support, according to the creators of Gears 5, and the latest video about the game released on Wednesday ahead of the game's launch date goes over how that content will be released and what it entails.

Each of Gears 5's various game modes will benefit from "Operations" that are released every three months, the video above explains. Those familiar with Rainbow Six Siege Operations or seasons from other games like Fortnite will already have a general idea of how Gears 5's Operations work. Every three months, a new Operation will be released that adds more content to each of the game's multiplayer modes. New characters to play as who have their own unique abilities in Horde and Escape modes, customization items unlocked during limited timeframes, and "major features" are a few part of what these Operations will bring to Gears 5 players.

There are Supply Drops in Gears 5 which essentially function like loot boxes, but they can't be bought with real money. To get them, players will have to take part in Versus, Horde, or Escape matches to earn Supply Points. These are spent on the drops which in turn contain exclusive customizations.

The most evident way that season are introduced is through the Tour of Duty feature that'll be a part of each Operation. These are essentially streams of content that consist of daily objectives players can complete to progress through different ranks. Moving through these ranks will unlock customization options like character skins, weapon executions, blood splatters, emotes, and more.

Select content will only be available during certain Operations though, the video warned, so players who don't play enough might not be able to get everything they want from the periodical releases. The video hinted that this was "just the start" of how Gears 5 will be supported after it's available.

For any players who are so inclined to outfit their characters and weapons with skins among other customizations, there will be microtransactions in the game, according to The Coalition's previous announcements. These items aren't hidden behind any random measures and do not affect gameplay though.

Gears 5 releases for the Xbox One and PC platforms on September 10th.