Gears 5 developers say they're moving on to "future projects"

Gears 5
(Image credit: The Coalition)

The Gears 5 map builder is being removed from the game as its developer looks to the future.

Developer The Coalition has announced that it's removing the Map Builder feature from Gears 5 to allow the team to "focus on future projects". Map Builder lets you create custom maps for the game's Escape mode.

For achievement hunters concerned that this will render some of the game's virtual awards unobtainable, worry no longer, as The Coalition already has that base covered. Achievements related to Map Builder will now pop automatically once the game is booted up after installing the update. Two achievements are affected: "I Made it All By Myself" and "Homegrown Hive".

Those who've already managed to unlock these achievements will be gifted with some in-game rewards. If you've completed "I Made it All By Myself", you'll receive an exclusive banner, while having "Homegrown Hive" under your belt will net you a cool 10k in-game coins.

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The achievements each add 10 points to your Gamerscore. Both were fairly straightforward to earn before the demise of Map Builder. One required you to create and publish your own Escape Hive, and the other was unlocked by completing a featured community built Escape Hive.

The Coalition didn't go into further detail on what future projects the team will be focusing on, but the studio is reportedly working on a brand new IP. We also got a glimpse of what Gears 6 could look like during a recent showcase for Unreal Engine 5.

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Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.