Gears 5‘s Horde Mode can be a devil of a thing to survive, or at least they are without the use of each character’s ultimates. That’s why we’re here to walk you through how to use ultimates in Horde Mode.
How to Use Ultimates in Gears 5
Available to each character in Gears 5’s Horde Mode, Ultimates offer temporary buffs, special attacks and other perks that can even the odds in a flash or set you up for a much easier round.
They can be used by pressing the Y button at most any time, and can be used multiple times throughout a Horde Mode playthrough.
However, you can’t spam them repeatedly. After using an Ultimate in Gears 5’s Horde Mode, you’ll need to wait for it to recharge, during which time it will be inaccessible. This means you’ll have to choose when to use them wisely, or else be left sitting defenseless in a situation where they could have saved you.
What Each Character’s Ultimate Does
As for what each Ultimate does, it varies based on which Gears 5 or DLC character you’re playing as. To that end, we’ve laid out the effects of each Ultimate below to help you better decide which character is best for you to play as.
| Character | Ultimate Ability | Description |
| Kait | Camouflage | Kait will be hidden from enemies when Camouflage is active. |
| Del | Reinforce | Summon multiple DeeBees trackers that target enemies. |
| JD | Artillery Strike | Drops five artillery rounds on an enemy in the open that is marked by JD. |
| Marcus Fenix | Living Legend | Automatically fire at the heads of enemies in sight. Any allies in cover with you will do the same. |
| Fahz | X-Ray | See and shoot enemies through walls while active. |
| Jack | Hijack | Take control of an enemy and wreak havoc. |
| Emile-A239 | Drop Shield | Activates a protective drop shield that prevents any projectiles from passing through. |
| Kat-B320 | Hologram | Deploys a holographic decoy that moves directly forward, drawing enemy fire. |
| Sarah Connor | Heavy Hitter | All hits with ballistic weapons will knockback and stun enemies. |
That should cover everything there is to know about how to use Ultimates in Gears 5’s Horde. For more tips, tricks and secrets, check out our Gears 5 guide wiki.
For more on Gears 5 in general, check out our recent coverage of a PAX West panel where Coalition studio head Rod Fergusson went in-depth on the design choices behind the game’s story, gameplay and more. We have also listed some other helpful guides down below.
- How to Use Lancer’s Chainsaw Bayonet
- How to Stealth Kill
- Where to Scavenge Fallen Condors Supplies (Act 2 & 3)
- How to Beat Swarmaks
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