Gears 5 is a great game, despite some issues, but there's one aspect that's unequivocally a big let down: it doesn't let you play as Carmine.

Gears 5 includes a handful of COG characters to play as in multiplayer, including Kait Diaz, Marcus Fenix and his son, JD. Where's Carmine? That's something Gears 5 players have been asking themselves since launch - and now there's a community campaign to bring Gears' helmet-loving COG into the fray.

If you're unfamiliar, fan-favourite Carmine first popped up in the first Gears of War game in 2006. Private Anthony Carmine became an instant hit after he was unceremoniously killed off during the opening phase of the Lightmass Offensive. Since then the Carmine brothers have become a kind of Gears in-joke for their hapless near-death - and death - experiences, and the developers have had fun with it, too.

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At this point, only one Carmine brother is confirmed to have survived: Chief Sergeant Clayton "Clay" Carmine is the eldest brother in the Carmine family and actually appears in the superb Gears 5 campaign. But he's not in multiplayer. That is, you can't play as him.

And so we come to Gears 5, a game many fans say is light on the playable characters front, at least compared to previous Gears games. Top of the list is most certainly Carmine:

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Gears 5 developer The Coalition recently held a stream on Mixer in which staff answered some questions from the community. Of course, the question was asked: "Are we getting the Carmines?" The answer?

"You never know."

It's highly likely Carmine will eventually come to Gears 5, of course, especially when you consider the drip-feed of content to be added as part of the game's battle pass-style live service model. Until then? Gears 5 fans will keep banging that drum.