Quick Scoop

The idle method most people use in Gears 5 is to set up a Horde match as Jack, then leave the game running so XP can accumulate while you stay inactive. The commonly reported setup is a private Horde match on Master with bots on, starting near wave 49, and then letting the session run until you return to the lobby to cash in the XP.

How it works

A widely shared version of the method is:

  1. Go to multiplayer, then Horde, then create a private match.
  2. Set the game to Master and make sure the character is Jack.
  3. Start near the late waves, often wave 49.
  4. Enter the match, drop the Fabricator, then leave the controller disconnected or inactive.
  5. Let it sit for several hours, then return to lobby to collect the XP.

That same source says the farm can take about 4 to 5 hours to reach the usual XP cap, with roughly 100,000 XP mentioned as the max earned in that run.

Notes from players

Older community posts also describe idle XP farming in Escape or Horde-style setups, but those methods have changed over time and some were marked as patched or semi-patched. A more recent discussion still points to Escape and Horde as the main ways players grind class or re-up XP, with Jack often mentioned as a strong pick for XP-focused runs.

Practical caution

These idle methods depend on game balance, updates, and platform settings, so they can stop working or become less efficient after patches. If you want the safest general approach, the modern consensus in the sources is to use a private Horde setup with Jack and let it run unattended for a few hours.

TL;DR

The idle Jack XP method in Gears 5 is basically: private Horde, play as Jack, set up a late-wave Master match, then AFK for several hours and collect XP when you return.