Gears 5: How To Skip Boot Camp

As the sixth entry in this hallowed, hyper-violent fan-favorite Xbox franchise, Gears 5 goes hard and expects a lot skill and/or tenacity from its players. So it comes as no surprise that Gears 5 has its own expanded training program. Before the game will allow you to experience the Campaign, compete in Versus, outlast the Swarm in Horde or outrun them in Escape, you'll need to take a quick jaunt through the Gears 5 Boot Camp. Fortunately for us, the good folks at The Coalition have made it relatively easy (if clandestine) for more experienced players to forego this formal training.

The Gears 5 Boot Camp finds you guiding Lt. Del Walker through an automated obstacle course designed by the lovable COG veteran Damon Baird. In addition to a few lore drops for newcomers, this robotic gauntlet will help you calibrate your Look Preference and teach you how to move in and around cover, how to utilize your Tac-Com heads up display, how to interact with objects, how to mantle and run, how to aim and shoot, how to survive and revive the "downed" condition, and how the basic complement of weaponry works (along with other Gears fundamentals). Following each segment of the Boot Camp prelude, you'll have the option of repeating the training or continuing with the tutorial. But what about the option to skip?

Skipping the Gears 5 Boot Camp is as easy as pausing the game and returning to the main menu. From here, you can finally kick off gameplay in Campaign, Versus, Horde, or Escape modes. Let it be known, however, that completing Boot Camp will earn you the "My Body is Ready" cheevo, worth a whopping 5 Gamerscore points. Completionists: you've been warned.