Gears 5: Complete Guide

Covers the Gears 5 campaign (Jack upgrades, relic weapons, collectibles, the Act 4 choice), Horde, Escape and Versus, plus what the game's post-support status means for anyone playing in 2026.

Researched September 2026. Current as of the final Operation 8 content (2021) and the 2023 Steam Deck update. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Status in 2026

• Release: September 9, 2019 (Steam, Microsoft Store/Game Pass, Xbox).
• Live support is over. The last content Operation was Operation 8 (Drop 1 reveal July 28, 2021; live August 3, 2021). It added Bernadette "Bernie" Mataki, Ketor Vrol, the map Ritual, and Capture the Flag as the "eighth and final competitive mode." Since then the Steam feed has had only a Steam Deck update (June 2023) and posts about the next game.
• What's next: Gears of War: E-Day had an Open Beta in August 2026 and launches October 6, 2026. It introduces a 12-player PvE mode called Horde Siege.
• Playing now: The campaign, Hivebusters and custom games are fully playable. Matchmaking populations vary by mode, region and time of day; casual playlists generally fill more easily than niche competitive ones, and custom games with friends always work.
• Account: An Xbox profile is required on Steam.

Quick Start

• Upgrade Jack in the campaign. Components are the campaign's main progression. Search every side area in the open acts.
• Use the Skiff. In Acts 2 and 3 you sail the Skiff across large open maps. Side locations have components, collectibles and relic weapons.
• Pick difficulty carefully. Achievements exist for Insane and for Inconceivable (every chapter). If you're going for 100%, do a normal-difficulty collectible run first.
• Active reload everything. A perfect active reload buffs damage. Time the reload bar on every reload.
• Take cover and don't stand in the open. Cover-to-cover movement (roadie run, slide, swat turn) is the core skill.
• Horde is 50 waves with a boss every 10. Build fortifications from the Fabricator and bank Power between waves.
• Escape is a 3-player run through a Swarm hive. Plant the venom bomb, then run. The weekly Featured Hive rotation is fixed now, and custom games let you pick hives.
• In Versus, learn the Gnasher. Close-range shotgun duels decide most fights. The Lancer is for mid range and chip damage.

Campaign Walkthrough Outline

Gears 5 has an optional Boot Camp tutorial and four Acts. Acts 1 and 4 are mostly linear. Acts 2 and 3 open up into Skiff-driven hubs.

Part | Protagonist | Structure | Key notes

Boot Camp | Tutorial | Separate menu option | Achievement: "Complete Boot Camp" (My Body is Ready)

Act 1 | JD Fenix, with Kait, Del and Fahz | Linear | Restore the Hammer of Dawn. An early rocket launch earns "Launch the Rocket"; the act ends with the Hammer misfiring during Settlement 2's evacuation.

Act 2 | Kait, Del, Jack | Open snowy north, crossed by Skiff | Main story beats are the New Hope research facility and Mount Kadar. Scavenge downed Condors.

Act 3 | Kait, Del, Jack | Open Vasgar desert, crossed by Skiff | Assemble and launch the final Hammer of Dawn rocket. More Condors, relic weapons and component caches; find the remaining Ultimate upgrades.

Act 4 | Kait's squad | Linear finale | Kait must choose to save either JD or Del; the other dies. It changes the ending.

Tips per act:

• Act 2: Once you have the Skiff, detour before the main objective. The side areas hold components and Jack's Ultimate upgrades, and are the easiest place to grow Jack's power early.
• Act 3: There's an achievement for scavenging supplies from all fallen Condors in Acts 2 and 3. Look for downed aircraft on the map and clear each one.
• Act 4: Save before the final choice if you want to see both endings (or just replay the chapter).

Jack: abilities and upgrades

Jack is your robot support drone. Components unlock and improve his abilities. Normal components raise ability levels, and Ultimate components (found in specific side locations) add major effects. Jack's toolkit includes:

• Scanning: marks enemies and items.
• Cloaking: hides you so you can reposition or flank.
• Stunning or disrupting enemies: creates openings.
• A bullet-deflecting energy shield: gives you cover in the open.
• Passives: such as fetching distant ammo and weapons for you.

Achievements: "Acquire all of Jack's Ultimate upgrades in Campaign" and "Fully upgrade Jack's Abilities and Passives in Campaign." To max him out you have to clear the side areas thoroughly. Don't rush the open acts. In co-op, one player can control Jack directly; completing a full Act as playable Jack earns "Jack of One Trade" (only about 2.7% of Steam players have it).

Relic weapons

Relic weapons are unique, upgraded versions of standard guns hidden in side locations. Achievements: "Equip 3 Relic Weapons at one time in Campaign" and "Kill an enemy with every Relic Weapon in Campaign." Relics are easiest to track on the Act 2 and Act 3 maps. Carry them as a set of three at once for the first achievement.

Collectibles

There's a single "Collect all Campaign Collectibles" achievement (around 1.5% of Steam players have it). Collectibles are spread across all Acts. Chapter select lets you go back for missed ones, so nothing is permanently missable, but a thorough blind run saves a lot of backtracking.

Difficulty

• Insane and Inconceivable each have their own completion achievements.
• Higher difficulties make enemies hit much harder and punish being out of cover. Keep Jack's shield and cloak upgrades high for these runs.
• Three-player co-op (online or split-screen) makes hard runs much easier. Co-op carries campaign progress.

Core Combat

Skill | Why it matters

Active reload | A perfect reload boosts damage. A failed one jams your weapon briefly.

Cover management | Roadie run between cover, swat turn across gaps, slide into cover. Never stand still in the open.

Down But Not Out (DBNO) | Downed allies can be revived. Downed enemies can be executed.

Weapon swapping | Swap to your pistol or shotgun instead of reloading when an enemy closes in.

Grenades | Tag enemies or plant as traps on walls and doorways.

Weapon roles (general)

• Lancer / Retro Lancer / Hammerburst: mid-range rifles and your workhorse ammo.
• Gnasher: close-range shotgun that defines Versus.
• Markza and Longshot: precision marksman and sniper options.
• Embar: charge-up rail rifle that rewards precise, timed shots.
• Torque Bow: charged explosive bolts, a power weapon on many maps.
• Power weapons spawn at fixed points in Versus. Know where they are and when they respawn.

Horde

Five players, 50 waves, a boss every 10 waves. Achievement: "Beat 50 Consecutive Waves of Horde (any difficulty)."

Core systems:

• Fabricator: the team's build station. Deposit Power (the currency dropped by enemies) and buy fortifications and weapons.
• Power: pick it up from kills. Deposit it at the Fabricator or spend it on your own perks.
• Characters: each has a class role, an Ultimate, and perks you level with Power. Your role is set by the character you choose.

Horde tips:

• Pick a base early. Choose a defensible spot close to the Fabricator. Moving the Fabricator later costs time and risk.
• Split roles. A builder spends on fortifications, others focus damage and Power. Decide before wave 1.
• Boss waves (10/20/30/40/50): save Ultimates and heavy weapons for them. Put weapon lockers where they're covered.
• Buy fortifications that match the threat. Barriers and decoys slow ground rushes. Turrets and sentries add damage. Upgrade the few that matter rather than spamming new ones.
• Revive fast. A wipe late in a run wastes an hour. Protect whoever is carrying Power.

Custom games added in Operation 8 include event modes such as Boss Rush, Horde Mania, Horde Roulette and Escape from Kadar, plus the maps Turbine and Atrium for Horde. These are great for practice now that matchmaking is quieter.

Escape

Three "Hivebusters" plant a venom bomb deep inside a Swarm hive, then fight their way out as the venom spreads behind them.

• Ammo is scarce. Don't waste shots. Loot every weapon cache and swap guns freely.
• Stay together. A player who gets downed alone has nobody close enough to revive them.
• Know the saferooms. Some hives offer a choice of routes or saferooms (for example The Mines has split paths and two saferooms). The Descent is a longer three-act hive.
• Use abilities on cooldown. Each character's kit is built to be used constantly, not saved.
• Custom hives: the Hive Editor and community hives extend replay value long after official rotations ended.

Versus

Modes include Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, Escalation, Arcade, Guardian-style objective modes, and Capture the Flag (added in Operation 8). Competitive playlists have their own leaderboards.

Core Versus tips:

• Gnasher fundamentals: wall-bounce to close gaps, fire at point-blank range, don't miss the first shot.
• Map control: know the power weapon spawns (Torque Bow, Longshot, Boomshot) and time them.
• Trade kills: stay near teammates so every fight is 2v1.
• Arcade is a more casual, loadout-driven mode. Good for learning maps without Gnasher duels.
• Maps from later Operations include Tomb, Ephyra and Ritual.

Hivebusters DLC

A standalone single-player/co-op expansion (released December 2020) following Scorpio Squad: Lahni, Keegan and Mac, set on the volcanic Galangi islands. It plays like Escape crossed with a campaign. Each character has a distinct ability, so play it in 3-player co-op if you can.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the Act 2/3 side areas. You'll miss Jack upgrades, relics and Condors, and have to backtrack for achievements.
• Ignoring active reload. It's free damage.
• Sitting in bad cover on high difficulties. Some enemies flank and flush you out. Keep moving.
• Hoarding Power in Horde. Unspent Power doesn't help your base. Deposit and build.
• Solo-queuing competitive in 2026. Populations are small. Play Quickplay or organise a group.
• Choosing the Act 4 ending blind if you care about both. Replay the chapter to see the other outcome.

Advanced Tips

• Inconceivable runs: play co-op, max Jack's cloak and shield upgrades, and carry a relic weapon you've tested. Take fights slowly and one group at a time.
• Horde economy: in the early waves everyone feeds the Fabricator. Once key defenses are up, switch to personal perk upgrades.
• Escape routing: learn each hive's layout in custom games before playing it on higher difficulties.
• Gnasher movement: combine wall-bounce and slide cancels to throw off the other player's aim.
• Accessibility: the relaunch added full controller remapping, single-stick movement, narrated UI and better subtitles. Use them.

FAQ

Is Gears 5 still supported? No new content has arrived since Operation 8 in 2021 and a Steam Deck update in 2023. The game is still online and playable, but the studio's focus is Gears of War: E-Day (launching October 6, 2026).

How many acts are in the campaign? Four Acts (plus an optional Boot Camp tutorial). Acts 2 and 3 are open areas you explore by Skiff.

Can I play the campaign in co-op? Yes. Three players, online or split-screen.

Is there a missable choice? Yes, at the end of Act 4. Replaying the chapter lets you see the other outcome.

Are collectibles missable? Not permanently. Chapter select lets you go back, but the open acts are easiest to clear in one thorough pass.

What is Hivebusters? A paid campaign-style expansion featuring Scorpio Squad (Lahni, Keegan, Mac) on the Galangi islands.

Do I need an Xbox account on Steam? Yes. The Steam version requires an Xbox profile.

Sources

• Gears 5 on Steam
• Gears 5 Steam achievements
• Steam news feed for Gears 5 (Operation 8 reveal, This Week in Gears, E-Day beta)
• Gears 5 on Wikipedia