Gears 5 won’t have a Season Pass, DLC maps will be free

The Coalition has unveiled some more detailed info about the multiplayer progression system of their upcoming Gears 5, or Gears of War 5 for those who aren’t too much into the snappy renaming. According to the dev, the game will not get a Season Pass, randomized Loot Boxes nor will future DLC maps be paid. Instead, all DLC maps will be given to all players for free. Microtransactions with real-world money for faster progress and exclusive customization will be present however.

In-game monetization is a tricky topic for developers. On one hand, the ever-rising cost of sustaining a studio for multiple years and still being able to make a profit forces larger projects to somehow make additional money via microtransactions, and on the other hand the sheer notion of such a mechanic has become a touchy subject among gamers. Through trial and error, publishers have found a good middle way by relegating real money purchases to cosmetics and XP boosters.

Earning content in Gears is something we know many of you care deeply about. You’ve asked and we’ve listened. In Gears 5, our goal is to create a player-first experience when it comes to in-game content

This trend is continuing with Gears 5. The Coalition has released a blog post on how to earn content in their new shooter. Good news is, there won’t be a Season Pass nor paid DLC maps which usually end up splitting the online player base. Every owner of the game will get future maps for free.

Microtransations will still be there and will offer players the chance to purchase exclusive customization content a.k.a. fancy cosmetics and temporary XP boosts. Still, even gamers who won’t pay can earn new content via the Tour of Duty. Through Daily Challenges and seasonal Medals, every gamer will be able to receive new content by simply playing the game in a seasonal format.

Gears 5 is set to come out on September 10 for the Xbox One and PC.