As announced on Xbox Wire (Xbox’s official blog), Gears 5‘s Operation 2: Free for All is now available for all players. This operation comes only two months following Operation 1 and will bring in more content for players to enjoy. This content ranges from new characters, all the way to a brand-new Tour of Duty (the game’s battle pass).
Starting with cosmetic earnings, there are four new playable characters. On the Heroes side, you have Lizzie Carmine and Damon Baird returning from the campaign. You can expect them to have their own weapon set and unique passive within Arcade. On the Horde and Escape side, though, both have a unique ultimate ability. Lizzie can summon a giant Silverback mech, which she can take control of. Damon, on the other hand, can summon an autonomous DR-1 bodyguard to protect both himself and his teammates. As for the Villains, the Jermad and the Locust Drone are available to play in Arcade. All four characters are available to play in the standard multiplayer modes and can be bought with Iron or earned through gameplay.
The Tour of Duty has also been reinvigorated with a ton of new offerings. You can expect 200 exclusive items, including skins for characters and weapons, Iron, expressions, executions, and more. You can earn all these rewards right now by completing daily objectives and earning season-long medals. You’re sure to have a lot to look forward to when leveling up the Tour of Duty.
When it comes to gameplay, you can expect three new modes. First of all is Free for All, a returning mode from previous Gears of War games. Play against thirteen other players in a head-to-head to reach thirty kills. Second is Arcade Blitz, an objective-based mode within the Arcade playlist, being a new way to play Arcade mode. Third and finally is 2v2 Gnashers, which is standard 2v2 but with Gnashers only.
Free for All specifically will be getting three maps that fit its unique gameplay style, but that isn’t all for maps. Allfathers’ Arena is an old COG coliseum offering many new ways to play. The map is split into three sections, with each changing allowing for 27 different map combinations. Along with this is the return of Lift, a solid map from the Gears of War 4 map lineup. The map’s also been changed to help give it a level of freshness for those returning from Gears of War 4.
If you want to see all this in action, you can check out the Operation 2 trailer here. With all this new content, Gears 5 players are sure to have lots to look forward to. If you want all the essential content right now (including characters, weapon skins, Iron, and a 30-day boost), you can pick up the Operation 2 Bundle for $19.99.
Haven’t played Gears 5? You can learn more about the game and see our review here. You’ll want to know, considering it’s the biggest launch of the generation for Xbox Game Studios. Are you excited to hop onto Gears 5 for Operation 2? Is there anything specific you’re looking forward to trying? Make sure to let us know, and stay tuned for news, reviews, and more at The Nerd Stash!