Gears 5 is a smoke-free game. In fact, going forward, smoking is banned across the Gears of War universe.
Previous Gears of War games have featured characters who smoked. COG Michael Barrick, for example, was a chain smoker with an addiction to cigars. In Gears of War 3, Barrick would hold a cigar in his mouth while you were playing as him in competitive multiplayer.
According to Variety, the decision not to include smoking references in the 18-rated Gears 5 came after not-for-profit anti-smoking organisation Truth Initiative approached Turner Broadcasting, whose ELeague esports division has broadcast rights to the game, about making a change. (There’s a Gears 5 ELeague tournament taking place this weekend.) An Xbox representative said the decision was made solely by developer The Coalition.