Gears 5 studio head addresses concerns about microtransactions, says "we're learning as we go"

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"We will continue to evolve until we get it right," The Coalition's studio head Rod Fergusson says

Gears 5
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

The Coalition's studio head Rod Fergusson has taken to Twitter to address the concerns voiced by players regarding Gears 5's microtransactions in its multiplayer modes. Players have been sharing their frustrations about the pricing of the microtransactions, as well as the amount of grinding you have to do to earn certain goodies in-game to avoid spending real money.  

In reply to a player who tweeted that the prices and grinding are "just kind of ridiculous for the people that can't spend that time or money," Fergusson explained that the Coalition are learning as they go and strive to keep on improving. "This is a completely different economy from Gears 4 (removed from Gear packs)," Fergusson wrote, "so it will take time to work through any issues. Our first attempt is not our last and we will continue to evolve until we get it right." 

In another tweet response, Fergusson addressed yet more concerns surrounding the pricing of Iron and the cost of content, and reiterated that the Coalition is continually trying to learn and improve as it goes, saying "there's no magic wand here. Even small changes take time to create content and design skills and Ultimates." 

The Xbox exclusive which brought Gears back for another round of Locust shooting action enjoyed a very good reception when it was released in September. The multiplayer side of things brought back some of the classic modes including Horde with some updated twists, as well as introducing a new mode called Escape. The premium in-game currency Iron that you can buy can be earned in very small amounts in multiplayer, but players believe the cost of Iron is too high, and actually earning it in-game is far too much work. 

A lot of free content was revealed to be coming to the world of Gears 5 in the coming months, with a roadmap outlining all of the additional maps and features on the way. It's plain to see the Coalition are taking the feedback on board from the player community. Striving to continually learn and improve multiplayer can only spell good things for Gears 5 going forward. 

Just joining Kait in the latest Gears adventure? Here are all the Gears 5 tips you need to know. 

Heather Wald
Heather Wald
Evergreen Editor, Games

Heather Wald is the Evergreen Editor, Games at GamesRadar+. Her writing career began on a student-led magazine at Bath Spa University, where she earned a BA (Hons) in English literature. Heather landed her first role writing about tech and games for Stuff Magazine shortly after graduating with an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University. Now with almost seven years of experience working with GamesRadar+ on the features team, Heather helps to develop, maintain, and expand the evergreen features that exist on the site for games, as well as spearhead the Indie Spotlight series. You'll also see her contribute op-eds, interview-led features, and more. In her spare time, you'll likely find Heather tucking into RPGs and indie games, reading romance novels, and drinking lots of tea.