Like many modern shooters, Gears 5 boasts loot boxes that players can earn. In these Supply Drops, you’ll get cosmetic items and upgrades for the game’s PvE modes. While this is the main way you’ll earn rewards, players can also purchase various items for the two different in-game currencies, Scrap and Iron. The latter is only obtainable via spending real money, but the method to earn Scrap is a little different.
How to Get Scrap
The only way to earn Scrap is by obtaining a duplicate item in a Supply Drop. If you manage to get the same card twice, you will instantly have that duplicate converted to Scrap. This is similar to Overwatch’s method of giving out gold and it’s the only way in Gears 5 to earn Scrap. Because of this, don’t expect to get a lot of Scrap right away since you’ll be getting a ton of new cosmetic items.
How to Use Scrap
Now that you have Scrap what can you use it on? Once you obtain a nice pile of Scrap you can use this to purchase cosmetic items or upgrades for Gears 5’s different characters. To buy one of these items, open up the character customization menu and select which person you want to get an item for. You can obtain everything from banners to blood splatter effects to emotes and executions.
The Scrap price for that item will be displayed in the bottom right corner next to Create. Once you purchase an item, you’ll be instantly subtracted that amount of Scrap so choose wisely. Additionally, you can upgrade your Horde/Escape character powers, but you’ll need to earn the card first. Don’t expect to just spend all your Scrap on the best abilities right away.