Gears 5 boss addresses microtransaction concern: "We're learning as we go" Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Gears 5 boss addresses microtransaction concern: "We're learning as we go" Scratch one grub. News by Wesley Yin-Poole Deputy Editorial Director Updated on 30 Sep 2019 77 comments The Coalition boss Rod Fergusson has addresses fan concern about microtransactions in Gears 5. While Gears 5 is considered to be a superb game in gameplay terms, its progression system is miserly and its cosmetics overpriced. Here's a snippet from Eurogamer's Gears 5 review: "There's nothing in Gears 5's first battle pass worth writing home about. The character skins are lifted from the campaign (desert Kait with sand goggles, for example). No-one notices your banner. In the heat of battle, no-one has the time to stop to gawk at a blood spray, some of which are truly bizarre (Sea of Thieves pirate ships, anyone?). Hardly anyone emotes. None of the executions float my boat. The final battle pass reward is a flashy Gnasher skin." The issue was exacerbated recently when the Delivery Driver Mac skin went up for sale for 1000 Iron (now £8.50 following a recent Iron price increase in the UK): And an execution went on sale for 800 Iron (around £7): First look at new Boltok execution coming tomorrow! from r/GearsOfWar To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings That's not all: while Gears 5 went for a battle pass system instead of loot boxes, plans to release new maps, characters and skins for free and restricts microtransactions to cosmetics-only (save some experience point boosts), the cosmetics on offer are yet to excite the community - and there's a distinct lack of cool character skins to unlock. What there is a lot of are banners and blood sprays, most of which the community doesn't care about. Fergusson took to Twitter to directly address this concern, pointing out The Coalition had created a completely different economy for Gears 5 and insisting the developers will learn from feedback and work through issues over time. It's not. The majority of content is free in Supply Drops (free for playing) and in the Tour of Duty (medals and objectives). This is waaaay more free content than Gears 4. And with quarterly Operations giving even more free content including maps and modes. Just getting started https://t.co/Gj18fy0agG- Rod Fergusson (@RodFergusson) September 29, 2019 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings And we're learning and improving as we go. There's no magic wand here. Even small changes take time to create content and design skills and Ultimates.- Rod Fergusson (@RodFergusson) September 29, 2019 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings We're learning as we go. This is a completely different economy from Gears 4 (removed Gear packs) so it will take a little time to work through any issues. Our first attempt is not our last and we will continue to evolve until we get it right https://t.co/oHTM3dT4rf- Rod Fergusson (@RodFergusson) September 29, 2019 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings One of the chief issues, I think, is Gears 5 feels light on cool things to unlock and characters to play as in the various multiplayer modes at launch because of the way battle passes work. Watch on YouTube Your Tour of Duty, as it's known in Gears 5, is supposed to let you unlock cool new gubbins over the course of a season. The problem is there aren't really any cool new gubbins to unlock in the first Tour of Duty. With multiple Tour of Dutys to release, the #content must be spread out, not front-loaded as it was with Gears games on the Xbox 360. And I haven't even mentioned the progression gating. All eyes turn to Gears 5's second Tour of Duty, then, which fans hope will tweak the economy and give them something cool to shoot for - or spend money on. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store