Glossary
Looking for an answer, not a term? Read the FAQ, or start here if you are new.
A
Armor Mod
An upgrade for your armor that changes your Gear's abilities. You set them in the Class menu.
Find them in Hard Cases or earn them from Secondary Objectives.
Source: In-game text. On this site: The campaign has a perk system nobody who played it mentioned.
ASD (Advanced Shader Delivery)
A PC feature that cuts the time spent compiling shaders, so the game gets going faster on different hardware.
Source: Official post.
Attrition
Not a separate mode. It is an older working name for Crucible, and it is not the Gears 5 mode of that name.
Source: Game data. On this site: Versus.
B
Barracks
The menu where you customize your characters and weapons and spend Coins or Iron on cosmetic items.
Source: In-game text.
Blitz Mission
The shortest Horde Siege mission type: about 15 to 20 minutes, with one or two objectives.
Source: Official post.
Boot Camp
The tutorial. A movement obstacle course that teaches the basics, open from the Main Menu at any time.
Restart it to test different control options.
Source: In-game text.
C
Class
One of four Horde Siege roles: Breacher, Assault, Medic or Marksman. Each carries one gadget no other class gets.
Source: Game data. On this site: Four classes, four jobs.
Class level
How far a single class has progressed, from level 1 to 30. Each class levels on its own.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Medic is overpowered and nothing happens at level 30.
Class rank
A named promotion along the way to level 30. The Breacher's four are Brawler, Striker, Vanguard and Juggernaut.
Source: In-game text.
Class XP
Experience your class earns as you play. It raises that class's level.
It is separate from Player Level, which builds toward Re-Up.
Source: In-game text.
COG Tag
Identification tags of COG soldiers. You pick them up and drop them off at a Supply Cache.
Source: In-game text. On this site: 140 campaign collectibles, by act.
Coins
An in-game currency you earn by playing, with daily and weekly limits. You spend it in the Barracks.
Medals and Player Level rewards ignore the weekly cap.
Source: In-game text.
Conquest
A Versus mode. Hold zones to capture them, and the first team to capture four wins. One round, 25 minutes.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Versus.
Crucible
A Versus mode. Hold the Power Core in the zone to capture it. Three zones win a round, two rounds win the match.
Dropping the Core costs your team progress.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Versus, Picking up the Core announces you.
D
DBNO (Down But Not Out)
The state you enter when your health hits zero: you are downed, not dead, and teammates can revive you.
Some damage, such as explosives, can still kill you outright.
Source: In-game text.
Demolition
A Versus mode. Pick up the bomb, plant it, then defend it until it goes off. 60 second fuse, first to three rounds.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Versus.
DFA
Not a separate mode. DFA is an older working name for Demolition. What the letters stand for is not stated anywhere.
Source: Game data. On this site: Versus.
E
Energy
The in-mission currency in Horde Siege. You spend it at Supply Caches on weapons, equipment and Squad Perk upgrades.
Mods and slots use Weapon Parts instead.
Source: Official post. On this site: Squad Perks are the only upgrade your whole squad gets.
Extraction
The end of a Horde Siege mission. Reach the extraction area, clear it and hold it until the Raven aircraft leaves.
Weapon Parts are lost if extraction fails.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Weapon Parts don’t count until the Raven lifts.
F
Forge
The developers' working name for the Supply Cache. You may see it in patch notes. In the game it is called a Supply Cache.
Source: Game data.
G
Guardian
A Versus mode. The last team standing wins the round. Two rounds win the match, 10 minutes per round.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Versus.
H
Hard Case
A case hidden around the city. Armor Mods can be found in them, and Tac-Com helps you find them. Also spelled Hardcase.
Source: In-game text. On this site: The campaign has a perk system nobody who played it mentioned.
Horde Mission
The longest Horde Siege mission type: 50 to 60 minutes and 10 waves, with limited support.
Source: Official post.
Horde Siege difficulty levels
Four levels, easiest to hardest: Rookie, Infantry, Commander and Allfather. Allfather is for max-level classes only.
Infantry fits class levels 10 to 20, Commander 20 to 30.
Source: Official post. On this site: Horde Siege only looks like the mode you know.
I
Imulsion
An energy resource found in underground deposits. Companies drill for it, and some Locust weapons use it.
Source: In-game text.
Invasion Event
A Horde Siege event where large Locust units arrive and every squad on the map is warned. It can also add restrictions.
Some block extraction or disable Supply Caches. Parts can be earned here.
Source: Official post.
Iron
The premium currency. You buy it with real money and spend it on items in the Barracks or on shop offers.
Premium editions include 1,000 Iron once.
Source: Official post. On this site: Every edition got the same pre-order bonus.
K
King of the Hill (KOTH)
A Versus mode. Two teams of four fight over a moving zone. Hold it for a combined 120 seconds to win.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Versus.
L
Legacy controls
A control scheme that keeps the older Gears layout, with Roadie Run on one button and Reload on another.
A second option, Legacy Alt, also exists.
Source: In-game text.
M
Medal
A badge that tracks one thing, such as Revives. It has up to five tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Onyx and Diamond.
Source: Game data. On this site: Medals.
O
Overtime
The tiebreaker state in some Versus modes. A zone spawns, and you capture it or wipe out the enemy to win.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Versus.
P
Perfect Reload
A reload timed just right. Some weapon mods only trigger when you land one.
Source: In-game text. On this site: The game states a figure for 58 of its 176 weapon mods.
Perk Cache
A time-limited Horde Siege drop with three Squad Perks. The squad that reaches it first gets the best one.
It comes in Rare, Epic and Legendary versions.
Source: Official post. On this site: Squad Perks are the only upgrade your whole squad gets.
Player Level
Your overall level, separate from class levels. It rises to 100, and then you can Re-Up.
Source: In-game text.
Power Core
An object used in two modes. In Crucible you hold it in a zone. In Horde Siege it is cargo you deliver.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Picking up the Core announces you.
R
Ranked
The competitive Versus playlist. After placement matches you get a Skill Division and a Rank from Bronze to Diamond.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Ranked runs two ladders. Most people only notice one, Your badge doesn’t decide who you play.
Re-Up
At Player Level 100 you can Re-Up: your Player Level resets to 1 and you get an exclusive customization reward.
You can Re-Up four times in total.
Source: In-game text.
Revive and self-revive
Reviving gets a downed teammate back up. Some players can also self-revive, depending on mode and class.
Tap while downed to buy teammates more time.
Source: In-game text.
Ribbon
A badge awarded after a match. How each one is earned is not stated in the game.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Ribbons & Medals.
R.I.G.
A scanning device that finds Imulsion deposits. Many Horde Siege objectives center on one.
Source: In-game text.
S
Secondary Objective
An optional side job inside a mission. Completing them earns Weapon Parts, Squad Perks and other rewards.
In the campaign they can also give Armor Mods.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Weapon Parts don’t count until the Raven lifts.
Siege Mission
The standard Horde Siege mission type: about 20 to 40 minutes, with several objectives.
Source: Official post. On this site: Every Horde Siege mission.
Skill Division
Your hidden skill rating puts you in one of four divisions, A (highest) to D (lowest). Matchmaking uses it.
Your Division sets how many points are at stake.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Your badge doesn’t decide who you play.
Squad Perk
A bonus for your whole squad. Any squad member can upgrade it with Energy at a Supply Cache.
Earn them from Secondary Objectives, Invasions and Perk Caches.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Squad Perks are the only upgrade your whole squad gets.
Supply Cache
A station placed around the city where you change your loadout and refill ammo. In Horde Siege you spend Energy here.
Source: In-game text.
Supply Drop
A free Horde Siege drop of equipment and weapons that any player can grab.
Source: Game data.
T
Tac-Com
Your in-mission tracker. It shows your objective and helps you find Collectibles, Supply Caches and Hard Cases.
Source: In-game text.
Tactical Gear
A rechargeable item you deploy to affect enemies or give your squad an edge. Each class has its own.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Equipment runs out. Tactical Gear doesn’t..
Team Deathmatch (TDM)
A Versus mode. The last team standing wins. Each team has 15 lives, and two rounds win the match.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Versus.
U
Upscalers (DLSS, FSR, TSR, XeSS)
Graphics options on PC that draw the game at a lower resolution and scale it up, to raise frame rate.
Source: Standard term. On this site: PC requirements and settings.
W
War Journal
The in-game record of your progress, including the Secondary Objectives and Hard Cases you have found.
Source: Official post.
Warpath
A Versus mode. Capture the zone to score points. First to 100 points wins the round, and two rounds win the match.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Warpath.
Wave
One round of Locust attackers inside a mission. Missions list how many waves they have.
A Horde Mission has 10.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Every Horde Siege mission.
Weapon Mod
An upgrade for one specific weapon that changes how it handles. You buy each with Weapon Parts.
Source: Official post. On this site: The game states a figure for 58 of its 176 weapon mods, Every weapon mod.
Weapon Parts
The currency that unlocks Weapon Mods and mod slots.
You only keep them if your squad extracts.
Source: In-game text. On this site: Weapon Parts don’t count until the Raven lifts, Siege rewards.
Weapon Parts Stockpile
A pickup in Horde Siege that gives Weapon Parts. It comes in Rare, Epic and Legendary versions.
Source: In-game text.
World Event
A timed event during a Horde Siege mission, such as a Supply Drop or a Perk Cache arriving.
Players see the specific event, not this label.
Source: Game data.