The Coalition has taken the strange decision to remove the Map Builder from Gears 5, deleting the ability to create custom maps. This, apparently, will free up more resources for the studio’s future projects.
However, in a nice and rather uncommon move, they will unlock the mode’s specific achievements for all players, so you can still 100% the game’s achievement list. For those that have already earnt “I Made it All By Myself” to create and publish an Escape Hive map, they will receive an exclusive banner, while those who’ve completed “Homegrown Hive” by playing a featured community created map will receive 10K Coins in-game.
PSA: We’re removing #Gears5 Map Builder and unlocking its achievements for all players as the team focus on future projects.
If you’ve completed “I Made it All By Myself” you’ll receive an exclusive banner & if you’ve completed “Homegrown Hive” you’ll receive 10k Coins in-game. pic.twitter.com/cPX0tLKQ3s
— Gears of War (@GearsofWar) April 26, 2022
Again, it’s not exactly clear what this will really free up within The Coalition, though perhaps the map builder was occupying time with maintenance, moderating new creations and curating maps. If the feature was going largely unused, it makes an element of sense to cut it of now and leave the main PvP multiplayer, and the co-op Horde and Escape modes continue on.
The Coalition has now completely moved on from Gears 5, and is getting to work on multiple new games that includes an original IP for the first time. While those projects are still behind closed doors, The Coalition has been quite public with their early experiments using Unreal Engine 5 – the studio has always used and helped to pioneer Unreal Engine. We most recently saw their efforts as part of the UE5 launch stream.
Gears 5 was met with mostly positive reviews when it released in 2019. It serves up a familiar cocktail of blood, gore, and shooting at enemies behind waist high walls. However, a more interesting narrative hook and some smart new modes and gameplay changes push the franchise in a promising direction. That was then followed up by the separate narrative in the campaign DLC Hivebusters, and extensive updates that enhanced the game for Xbox Series X and S.
In our Gears 5 review, Nick said:
“Gears 5 is a brilliant experience which can be enjoyed alone or with friends in equal measure. It keeps much of the series’ core gameplay and feel, but also takes it in some new directions. It’s great to see Gears evolving, opening the door for even more positive changes in the future.”
Source: Twitter
