Canadian developer The Coalition has outlined a number of tweaks, fixes, and changes coming to Gears of War 4‘s online multiplayer component this week, revealing that players will see greater and more frequent rewards for their efforts. The game launched at retail Tuesday for the Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs.
Tuesday also marks the launch of a server-side update for Gears of War 4 that increases the amount of credits earned from multiplayer matches. Customization-focused Gear Packs will now be awarded more frequently.
Gears of War 4 is the latest entry in Microsoft’s third-person shooter franchise, following up on a successful series of releases for the Xbox 360. Developed by Gears of War: Ultimate Edition porting studio The Coalition, Gears of War 4 marks the franchise’s Xbox One and Windows 10 debut while setting its core narrative 25 years after the events of Gears of War 3.
During beta phases in the weeks leading up to Gears of War 4‘s retail launch, franchise fans approached The Coalition with concerns regarding multiplayer progression and payouts. Notably, pre-release players noted that Gear Packs — which award randomly assigned character customization items and skins — were issued infrequently, giving fans little incentive to take on multiple matches in a row.
The Coalition responded with a server-side fix on Gears of War 4‘s launch day, increasing the amount of in-game currency that players earn from successfully completed multiplayer matches while decreasing the cost of Elite Packs from 4,000 credits to 3,500.
“The goal of these new changes is to provide a more consistent reward per match for our players, and bring the time required to earn Gear Packs — including the customization focused Elite Pack — closer to our expectations,” The Coalition explained. “Match Bonuses are provided whether you win or lose, though winning will yield higher XP and Credit returns. This should provide a higher and more consistent Credit earn rate across our modes, with the leveling milestone drops of 500 Credits and Credit bounties also helping you on your road to your next pack.”
The Coalition additionally warns players of a known bug affecting match bonus payout,s as the game will sometimes claim players have earned no credits from multiplayer matches. Despite the warning, player credits are still awarded in full and the issue will be fixed in a forthcoming title update.
