diff --git a/x-pack/build.gradle b/x-pack/build.gradle
index 88e09d82168..91652b9e150 100644
--- a/x-pack/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/build.gradle
@@ -55,13 +55,4 @@ subprojects {
   ext.projectSubstitutions += [ "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-security:${version}": xpackModule('security')]
   ext.projectSubstitutions += [ "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-upgrade:${version}": xpackModule('upgrade')]
   ext.projectSubstitutions += [ "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack-watcher:${version}": xpackModule('watcher')]
-
-  bwcVersions.snapshotProjectNames.each { snapshotName ->
-    Version snapshot = bwcVersions.getSnapshotForProject(snapshotName)
-    if (snapshot != null && snapshot.onOrAfter("6.3.0")) {
-      String snapshotProject = ":x-pack:plugin:bwc:${snapshotName}"
-      project(snapshotProject).ext.bwcVersion = snapshot
-        ext.projectSubstitutions["org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack:${snapshot}"] = snapshotProject
-    }
-  }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/bwc/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/bwc/build.gradle
deleted file mode 100644
index 757448e35cd..00000000000
--- a/x-pack/plugin/bwc/build.gradle
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,226 +0,0 @@
-import org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.condition.Os
-import org.elasticsearch.gradle.LoggedExec
-import org.elasticsearch.gradle.Version
-import org.elasticsearch.gradle.test.NodeInfo
-
-import static org.elasticsearch.gradle.BuildPlugin.getJavaHome
-
-/**
- * Subdirectories of this project are dummy projects which does a local
- * checkout of the appropriate version's branch, and builds a snapshot. This
- * allows backcompat tests to test against the next unreleased versions
- * without relying on snapshots.
- */
-
-subprojects {
-
-  Version bwcVersion = bwcVersions.getSnapshotForProject(project.name)
-  if (bwcVersion == null) {
-    // this project wont do anything
-    return
-  }
-
-  String bwcBranch
-  if (project.name == 'next-minor-snapshot') {
-    // this is always a .x series
-    bwcBranch = "${bwcVersion.major}.x"
-  } else {
-    bwcBranch = "${bwcVersion.major}.${bwcVersion.minor}"
-  }
-
-  apply plugin: 'distribution'
-  // Not published so no need to assemble
-  tasks.remove(assemble)
-  build.dependsOn.remove('assemble')
-
-  File esCheckoutDir = file("${buildDir}/bwc/checkout-es-${bwcBranch}")
-  /* Delay building the path as the path will not exist during configuration which will
-   * fail on Windows due to getting the short name requiring the path to already exist.
-   */
-  Object esCheckoutPath = """${->
-    if (Os.isFamily(Os.FAMILY_WINDOWS)) {
-      esCheckoutDir.mkdirs()
-      NodeInfo.getShortPathName(esCheckoutDir.toString())
-    } else {
-      esCheckoutDir.toString()
-    }
-  }"""
-  File xpackCheckoutDir = file("${esCheckoutDir}-extra/x-pack-elasticsearch")
-  Object xpackCheckoutPath = """${->
-    if (Os.isFamily(Os.FAMILY_WINDOWS)) {
-      xpackCheckoutDir.mkdirs()
-      NodeInfo.getShortPathName(xpackCheckoutDir.toString())
-    } else {
-      xpackCheckoutDir.toString()
-    }
-  }"""
-
-  final String remote = System.getProperty("tests.bwc.remote", "elastic")
-
-  task createElasticsearchClone(type: LoggedExec) {
-    onlyIf { esCheckoutDir.exists() == false }
-    commandLine = ['git', 'clone', rootDir, esCheckoutPath]
-  }
-
-  task createXPackClone(type: LoggedExec) {
-    onlyIf { xpackCheckoutDir.exists() == false }
-    commandLine = ['git', 'clone', xpackRootProject.projectDir, xpackCheckoutPath]
-  }
-
-  // we use regular Exec here to ensure we always get output, regardless of logging level
-  task findElasticsearchRemote(type: Exec) {
-    dependsOn createElasticsearchClone
-    workingDir = esCheckoutDir
-    commandLine = ['git', 'remote', '-v']
-    ignoreExitValue = true
-    ByteArrayOutputStream output = new ByteArrayOutputStream()
-    standardOutput = output
-    doLast {
-      if (execResult.exitValue != 0) {
-        output.toString('UTF-8').eachLine { line -> logger.error(line) }
-        execResult.assertNormalExitValue()
-      }
-      project.ext.esRemoteExists = false
-      output.toString('UTF-8').eachLine {
-        if (it.contains("${remote}\t")) {
-          project.ext.esRemoteExists = true
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  task findXPackRemote(type: Exec) {
-    dependsOn createXPackClone
-    workingDir = xpackCheckoutDir
-    commandLine = ['git', 'remote', '-v']
-    ignoreExitValue = true
-    ByteArrayOutputStream output = new ByteArrayOutputStream()
-    standardOutput = output
-    doLast {
-      if (execResult.exitValue != 0) {
-        output.toString('UTF-8').eachLine { line -> logger.error(line) }
-        execResult.assertNormalExitValue()
-      }
-      project.ext.xpackRemoteExists = false
-      output.toString('UTF-8').eachLine {
-        if (it.contains("${remote}\t")) {
-          project.ext.xpackRemoteExists = true
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  task addElasticsearchRemote(type: LoggedExec) {
-    dependsOn findElasticsearchRemote
-    onlyIf { project.ext.esRemoteExists == false }
-    workingDir = esCheckoutDir
-    commandLine = ['git', 'remote', 'add', "${remote}", "git@github.com:${remote}/elasticsearch.git"]
-  }
-
-  task addXPackRemote(type: LoggedExec) {
-    dependsOn findXPackRemote
-    onlyIf { project.ext.xpackRemoteExists == false }
-    workingDir = xpackCheckoutDir
-    commandLine = ['git', 'remote', 'add', "${remote}", "git@github.com:${remote}/x-pack-elasticsearch.git"]
-  }
-
-  task fetchElasticsearchLatest(type: LoggedExec) {
-    dependsOn addElasticsearchRemote
-    workingDir = esCheckoutDir
-    commandLine = ['git', 'fetch', '--all']
-  }
-
-  task fetchXPackLatest(type: LoggedExec) {
-    dependsOn addXPackRemote
-    workingDir = xpackCheckoutDir
-    commandLine = ['git', 'fetch', '--all']
-  }
-
-  String esBuildMetadataKey = "bwc_refspec_${project.path.substring(1)}_elasticsearch"
-  task checkoutElasticsearchBwcBranch(type: LoggedExec) {
-    dependsOn fetchElasticsearchLatest
-    def String refspec = System.getProperty("tests.bwc.refspec", buildMetadata.get(esBuildMetadataKey, "${remote}/${bwcBranch}"))
-    workingDir = esCheckoutDir
-    commandLine = ['git', 'checkout', refspec]
-  }
-
-  String xpackBuildMetadataKey = "bwc_refspec_${project.path.substring(1)}_xpack"
-  task checkoutXPackBwcBranch(type: LoggedExec) {
-    dependsOn fetchXPackLatest
-    def String refspec = System.getProperty("tests.bwc.refspec", buildMetadata.get(xpackBuildMetadataKey, "${remote}/${bwcBranch}"))
-    workingDir = xpackCheckoutDir
-    commandLine = ['git', 'checkout', refspec]
-  }
-
-  File esBuildMetadataFile = project.file("build/${project.name}_elasticsearch/build_metadata")
-  task writeElasticsearchBuildMetadata(type: LoggedExec) {
-    dependsOn checkoutElasticsearchBwcBranch
-    workingDir = esCheckoutDir
-    commandLine = ['git', 'rev-parse', 'HEAD']
-    ignoreExitValue = true
-    ByteArrayOutputStream output = new ByteArrayOutputStream()
-    standardOutput = output
-    doLast {
-      if (execResult.exitValue != 0) {
-        output.toString('UTF-8').eachLine { line -> logger.error(line) }
-        execResult.assertNormalExitValue()
-      }
-      project.mkdir(esBuildMetadataFile.parent)
-      esBuildMetadataFile.setText("${esBuildMetadataKey}=${output.toString('UTF-8')}", 'UTF-8')
-    }
-  }
-
-  File xpackBuildMetadataFile = project.file("build/${project.name}_xpack/build_metadata")
-  task writeXPackBuildMetadata(type: LoggedExec) {
-    dependsOn checkoutXPackBwcBranch
-    workingDir = xpackCheckoutDir
-    commandLine = ['git', 'rev-parse', 'HEAD']
-    ignoreExitValue = true
-    ByteArrayOutputStream output = new ByteArrayOutputStream()
-    standardOutput = output
-    doLast {
-      if (execResult.exitValue != 0) {
-        output.toString('UTF-8').eachLine { line -> logger.error(line) }
-        execResult.assertNormalExitValue()
-      }
-      project.mkdir(xpackBuildMetadataFile.parent)
-      xpackBuildMetadataFile.setText("${xpackBuildMetadataKey}=${output.toString('UTF-8')}", 'UTF-8')
-    }
-  }
-
-  File bwcZip = file("${xpackCheckoutDir}/plugin/build/distributions/x-pack-${bwcVersion}.zip")
-  task buildBwcVersion(type: Exec) {
-    dependsOn checkoutXPackBwcBranch, checkoutElasticsearchBwcBranch, writeElasticsearchBuildMetadata, writeXPackBuildMetadata
-    workingDir = xpackCheckoutDir
-    if (["5.6", "6.0", "6.1"].contains(bwcBranch)) {
-      // we are building branches that are officially built with JDK 8, push JAVA8_HOME to JAVA_HOME for these builds
-      environment('JAVA_HOME', getJavaHome(it, 8))
-    } else if ("6.2".equals(bwcBranch)) {
-      environment('JAVA_HOME', getJavaHome(it, 9))
-    } else {
-      environment('JAVA_HOME', project.compilerJavaHome)
-    }
-    if (Os.isFamily(Os.FAMILY_WINDOWS)) {
-      executable 'cmd'
-      args '/C', 'call', new File(xpackCheckoutDir, 'gradlew').toString()
-    } else {
-      executable new File(xpackCheckoutDir, 'gradlew').toString()
-    }
-    args ":x-pack-elasticsearch:plugin:assemble", "-Dbuild.snapshot=true"
-    final LogLevel logLevel = gradle.startParameter.logLevel
-    if ([LogLevel.QUIET, LogLevel.WARN, LogLevel.INFO, LogLevel.DEBUG].contains(logLevel)) {
-      args "--${logLevel.name().toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH)}"
-    }
-    final String showStacktraceName = gradle.startParameter.showStacktrace.name()
-    assert ["INTERNAL_EXCEPTIONS", "ALWAYS", "ALWAYS_FULL"].contains(showStacktraceName)
-    if (showStacktraceName.equals("ALWAYS")) {
-      args "--stacktrace"
-    } else if (showStacktraceName.equals("ALWAYS_FULL")) {
-      args "--full-stacktrace"
-    }
-  }
-
-  artifacts {
-    'default' file: bwcZip, name: 'x-pack', type: 'zip', builtBy: buildBwcVersion
-  }
-}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/bwc/maintenance-bugfix-snapshot/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/bwc/maintenance-bugfix-snapshot/build.gradle
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2d..00000000000
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/bwc/next-bugfix-snapshot/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/bwc/next-bugfix-snapshot/build.gradle
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2d..00000000000
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/bwc/next-minor-snapshot/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/bwc/next-minor-snapshot/build.gradle
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2d..00000000000
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/bwc/staged-minor-snapshot/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/bwc/staged-minor-snapshot/build.gradle
deleted file mode 100644
index e69de29bb2d..00000000000