Gears of War maps touch down

[UPDATE] Quartet of new multiplayer arenas for Microsoft's sci-fi third-person shooter will cost gamers 800 Microsoft points ($10) until September 3, free after that.

Gears of War gamers itching for more of the third-person shooter's promised downloadable content don't have to itch any longer. Publisher Microsoft today announced that the Hidden Fronts multiplayer map pack for the game is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace.

Hidden Fronts consists of four new multiplayer maps for the game. The photophobic Kryll have overrun the Bullet Marsh map, but a few lights hooked up to a generator provide some safe haven for players--until someone starts shooting up the generator, that is. Likewise, The Garden features an environmental hazard in the form of a conservatory's pesticide system that makes venting air a prerequisite to safe passage through the level. The remaining maps, Process and Subway, take place in an Imulsion plant and a commuter hub, respectively.

As revealed last month, Microsoft and Gears of War developer Epic Games had a difference in viewpoints when it came to how much they should charge users for the forthcoming map pack. According to Epic Games vice president Mark Rein, the developer wanted to provide the four-map pack for free, while Microsoft wanted to sell it instead. The two sides eventually compromised, and the map pack will sell for 800 Microsoft points ($10) until September 3, at which point it will be made free to download.

680 Comments

  • taino1128

    Posted Jul 31, 2008 3:05 pm PT

    YES, IT IS NOW FREE!

  • maxmax1234

    Posted Sep 2, 2007 1:46 am PT

    ALMOST HERE!!

  • Microsoft1234

    Posted Sep 1, 2007 9:46 am PT

    i payed for thes maps ages ago and it was worth 2.50 a map

  • Get_Shorty

    Posted Aug 22, 2007 10:39 am PT

    Ha haaa foos Sept 3rd is almost here and I'll be getting the maps for free!

  • SuperBladez

    Posted Jul 4, 2007 4:51 am PT

    Stupid paying for some diddy maps

    why pay for something thats susposed to be free. its nothing to do with being poor because can go out right now get the points and download.

    i like gears of war the most and play it the most and im pretty damn good but when i have to pay £10 bucks when its going to be free in a few weeks then thats stupid.

    i could get 2 months on runescape members account for that. if it was £5 then i wouldn't complain but i wouldn't buy it either.

  • chillychan

    Posted May 19, 2007 1:56 pm PT

    even though i like getting things free, i don't mind paying for these maps. developing new maps take work, and if you work you should get paid. i just wish the maps were a little cheaper. btw all the maps are really sick.

  • sharang_rai

    Posted May 19, 2007 10:15 am PT

    Sounds pretty interesting because they are choosing a precise moment to do that as in September itself it the dawn of Halo 3 so i think that Gears is planning to use this to hold its seat of power. The levels really Sound a bit complicated and whats the point of having such hazards it ruins the fun of head shooting blowing up tagging with grenade and bolts. Those are really the best aspects of the game. This is not Mortal Kombat. My favourite was Gridlock as it was a good and well designed map with good guns and fitting for the fighting system in Gears.
    Maybe the maps would be good. We won't really know until we try them out.
    Problem is that those cheap people are charging it i mean c'mon thats cheap and stupid we already paid for the games. Lets hope these maps are good otherwise Halo 3 will prevail. I'm not Halo 3 is mr. evil its probity going to a damn good game

  • Old_Man_Reagen

    Posted May 15, 2007 7:56 pm PT

    dam girl

  • theKSMM

    Posted May 13, 2007 4:14 pm PT

    Sounds like a pretty good compromise. Hopefully by the time the maps are free, I'll actually be some good at the game.

  • XCOD23

    Posted May 12, 2007 11:22 am PT

    These maps are sweet!!!! I downloaded them yesterday; BULLET MARSH!!!!

  • DoctorFu

    Posted May 7, 2007 9:15 pm PT

    Don't complain about great maps at a great price.. Not like anybody was thinking about it..

  • -Daan-

    Posted May 7, 2007 4:26 pm PT

    But Gridlock is still my favourite...
    You can't beat the narrow maze of cars and the two focal points so close together. I wish they would have simplified, instead of spreading the action out over long distances. It's the close quarter combat that makes the game so good.

  • Pepillo_Grillo

    Posted May 7, 2007 3:19 pm PT

    Estos mapas estan increibles
    In other words
    Its worth the wait and the money

  • SilentEdge256

    Posted May 7, 2007 11:47 am PT

    What happened to all dl content for gears of war would be free?

    oh well atleast its cheap

  • GoltanaZerg

    Posted May 7, 2007 11:12 am PT

    Shame on Microsoft if this is true, they hardly need the profit for putting these maps up to download. Atleast they are worth the money, whether or not I agree with them charging for it for the first 4 months of release.

  • THEKING1337

    Posted May 7, 2007 9:51 am PT

    going to buy my first microsoft points

  • abuff9

    Posted May 6, 2007 7:52 pm PT

    i would of payed more than $10 for these amazing maps. Best download i ever did. These maps are big and more interacting and different than the others. If you are that poor and dont like gears that much then dont buy it,quit whining. but if you like gears alot and are highly addictive to it and you want to play with your friends then fricken throw down 10 bucks now! IT AINT EVEN THAT MUCH! Seriously ppl these maps are fricken awesome. NOW STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT A MEASLY LITTLE 10 DOLLARS!!! ESPECIALLY IF U NEVER PLAYED THE MAPS BEFORE! AMEN!!!

  • DeltaTeam

    Posted May 6, 2007 6:51 pm PT

    Good to see that their pumping out fresh content for GoW, but didnt Cliffy say that all his content would be free. Then why does this cost 800 off the bat then free after sep 3rd?

  • TRiDtEW

    Posted May 6, 2007 3:12 pm PT

    I was thinking of buying this map pack because all my friends have them and tell me how great they are. But it seems like NO ONE is playing gears anymore, so I think I'm going to wait until the game picks up again.

  • taki_

    Posted May 6, 2007 11:30 am PT

    omfg thats my b-day !!!!!!! wow gears of war really loves me(i dont have a 360 lol) but its ironic the only game i wil play on 360 did sumthn cool for my b-day but i cant wait till my bday new tv ps3 games thank god......but these maps look cool and for my opinion 10 dollars for 4 maps is hella cheap if u dont have 10 dollars in ur wallet right now ur poor i want to see what the maps look like they seem cool though

  • gimlifn

    Posted May 6, 2007 11:12 am PT

    Just wondering but why is jackfatal talking about how the PS3 is better in a Gears of War forum about the new maps that just came out? Anyway the new maps are really fun and the little add on extras like being able to turn off the lights in Bullet Marsh and the Garden having the environmental hazard make the maps new and alot of fun. Keep up the great work epic and too bad microsoft couldn't let you release them for free but after all this is a business industry so just cough up the 800 points its worth it to have these maps over the summer.

  • brad_d

    Posted May 6, 2007 10:20 am PT

    These maps are pretty good, way better than Old Bones/Raven Down. 800 points seemed a little steep, until I compared it to the PDZ map pack add-ons for 500 points. Now those were garbage. I should have traded PDZ in when it was worth more than pant-lint.

  • enojeff

    Posted May 5, 2007 8:50 pm PT

    if you're a little kid - borrow the $10 from ur folks
    if you're an unemployed bum - get a job
    lol

  • aphextwin3

    Posted May 5, 2007 6:10 pm PT

    everyone trying to talk back at the ppl that wanna wait till september for the free maps don't bother because the reason why they don't wanna pay is because they are either little kids or just lazy ppl who don't have jobs and are therefore broke lol

  • MA22T1337

    Posted May 5, 2007 5:15 pm PT

    Usually I dread September because of school going back in session, but this gives the month a new meaning to life!!!!! English Translation: Can't wait for them tobe free!!!!

  • Sam_Lowery

    Posted May 5, 2007 4:31 pm PT

    Sounds cool. Now I just have to wait 4 months.

  • jackfatal

    Posted May 5, 2007 3:52 pm PT

    to those who is concerned about forza2 vs GTHD!! the answer of course GTHD is the winner!! check out this comparison
    http://www.gameswank.com/portal/?p=420

    ps3 is better than xbox 360 in every thing!! with home it will be the altimate console!! only thing thats bad about ps3 is the price thats all!!

  • _Cab0ose87_

    Posted May 5, 2007 3:26 pm PT

    "p.s. ps3killah... do you know how to speak RIPOFF the English language?" L O L!!!!

    P.S. I agree with Menduco

  • imperial_agent

    Posted May 5, 2007 3:20 pm PT

    it's only 10 lousy bucks. go get a freakin job if you can't afford it. It's like a McDonalds meal and a coffee and starbucks.

    yes, in life you have to PAY for things. boo-freakin-hoo that everything is for free. waaah waaah like a little baby.

    People had to MAKE those maps, people had to get them to work, people had to make it downloadedable. It's not easy stuff.

    besides which, it's going to be free ANYWAY so if you're such a cheap baby then WAIT till September. You don't HAVE to download ANYTHING so how on earth is it 'screwing' people over?

    jebus you guys are freakin cry babies

  • neoteny

    Posted May 5, 2007 1:47 pm PT

    seriously...just get a credit/ debit card. put some money in your account and presto, there goes your 10 bucks. trust me its not as bad as you think. but dont get me wrong. having to pay for something i think should be free is a little uncalled for, but if microsoft says it'll pay off in the long run then i guess it'll pay off in the long run. they know their stats better than anyone. the new maps are great. the garden wasnt all that impressive however....

  • metroid24

    Posted May 5, 2007 12:38 pm PT

    awsome new maps

  • Dilan120

    Posted May 5, 2007 12:32 pm PT

    MAKE IT FREE NOW!!! Dont be greedy microsoft. And menduco which side are you on

  • BurningChrome

    Posted May 5, 2007 10:37 am PT

    Originally i came down on this issue as "screw M$,I won't pay for what Epic wants to release for free"!
    But think about it,you pay almost $10.00 to go see a movie that provides you with,what,2-3 hours of entertainment?
    These maps will give you days,weeks possibly months of entertainment time.So it's not that bad of a deal.

  • blt0503

    Posted May 5, 2007 7:15 am PT

    Is anyone having trouble with bullet marsh video. It starts turning all the black areas blue and it gets fuzzy. I have to go reset my video settings each time. Wondering if I'm the only one!!!

  • Robingyohood

    Posted May 5, 2007 7:09 am PT

    Y so long?? usually it sonly a month or 2 till their free

  • Kilpers13

    Posted May 5, 2007 6:24 am PT

    God, will everyone moaning about paying for things - GIVE IT A REST. Do you expect McDonalds to give you free stuff just because you eat there everyday?! Or that you shouldn't have to pay a subscription on your Magazines just because you've bought one issue? Or that WWE PPV's are a waste of money - hang on - that last one is true.

    Microsoft is giving people a choice again (just like they've been doing all along: Standard 360, Premium, Elite, Wired Controllers, Non-wired .. or just go and buy PS3... it's all about choice) If you don't want to pay $10 (£5 for me - still the same thing) - then don't pay $10 - wait for the FREE download. Or maybe, just maybe, stop crying over this silly little thing and play GoW with the maps you do have - because they still rock. Job Done.

  • SlimTimm

    Posted May 5, 2007 5:37 am PT

    IM usually a very very very very very very very cheap gamer! But I downloaded da maps yesterday.....one word.... WwwOOOOwwwW!!. i feel sorry for da people dats gonna actually wait til sept 3. Cuz if u try and download them then it'll b too late. You're gonna die.....ALOT!

  • neil4688

    Posted May 5, 2007 3:23 am PT

    I think that paying for any update for a game is ludacris! You pay $60 for a game and that should include everything. You already have to pay for XBox Live and then you have to pay for things to download also. I'm definitely not going to be paying to download these maps and I can't wait until SONY comes out with a better online service because I will be jumping back to the Playstation in a heart beat!

  • NeoNavarro

    Posted May 5, 2007 1:59 am PT

    I'm a patient man. I can wait a few months plus i'm pretty busy with several other PC and 360 titles the months will just fly past me.

  • bebep

    Posted May 4, 2007 10:20 pm PT

    September 3rd is along way... that is not a very good compromise, But oh well.

  • Raziel24

    Posted May 4, 2007 10:02 pm PT

    It's ok if you want to play a new map and leave the routine of the other maps, but if you don't want to spend, simply, wait until september 5.

    *****SPOILER, SPOILER, SPOILER*****
    Personal Note (About the maps):***SPOILER***
    The maps are really good, adding a new perspective on the gameplay, looks like the developers make a great job making the design. The four of them are good. In Garden there is sections where if you enter, you will die if you don't turn off the poison system. Bullet Marsh is a creepy place, and dark, where the action happen only in the light. The other two I leave to your opinion. The only thing that I don't like about the new maps is that there are too long!!!, too long!!!, too big!!! If you understand. If you play a ranked match and you are alone versus one to one (3 dead men of both teams), the other can hidden a lot in any place of the big section of the map and the game could be finish on draw round if he or you don't find him/her/whatever. Another thing is that the maps have a lot of explosive guns, but doesn't really matter if you play well, without making cheating.

  • menduco76

    Posted May 4, 2007 9:58 pm PT

    digitalgawd ::

    "ya thats total BS that microsoft wont allow the people that created the maps to do what they really want to do, which is give them to us for free, microsoft keeps pissing me off more and more, bastards, dont buy these maps, wait til they become free, at least hats of to Epic that tried to make the content free, but MS can kiss my @$$, greedy bastards. Obtain them the way the developers intended and wanted you to get them, FREE, i advise everyone that hasnt purchased them to wait, we as a community must make our voices and opinions heard by this money hungry behemoth that is MS."

    And you...are you really that lacking in common sense? How is is BS that Microsoft wont let Epic make these maps free? Heres a newsflash for you...xbox live IS RUN BY MICROSOFT. Therefore, they HOST and MAINTAIN EVERYTHING that is offered to us via that service. Therefore, if ANYONE, including Epic games, wants to put ANYTHING on xbox live it goes on there ONLY with the approval of Microsoft, and under their terms. There is nothing unfair about paying for FOUR GREAT maps. Epic will surely get a cut of the $$$, but even though they want to make it free, in the end it is NOT their decision.
    And lets not forget, that Microsoft invested ALOT of money and effort into Gears of War...they have more of a say of what happens with that game than ANY other game out there at the moment.
    So your argument is pointless, childish, and really rather ridiculous. You dont want to pay for the maps? Fine. Dont.
    MISS OUT on the fun...thats fine with me. You are entitled to your opinion no matter how silly it is. But shut it up. And that goes for everyone who wont stop complaining about this as if its some kind of atrocity that was commited here. ITS NOT a big deal, its ONLY $2.50 per map, Microsoft can do whatever it wants in this case, and it is 100% their right to do this, and there is nothing wrong with it. Live with it, deal with it, grow up and MOVE ON. I for one I DID want to pay for the maps and I did, and I am enjoying the online portion of the game more than I have in a long time. In my book, thats WELL worth $10.

  • menduco76

    Posted May 4, 2007 9:49 pm PT

    onthe_dl : :
    "i don't play gears enough to want new maps, now epic has screwed me because i can't play online anymore. everyones playing the new maps and it won't let me filter the non new maps. this is total bs it's rendered the mp completely unplayable for me now since it takes forever to find matches.

    thanks i think i'm going to trade this game in now. it's actually such a shame"

    See this is a perfect example of people whining just for the sake of whining...because they think its cool to complain about microsoft. Buddy....if you dont play GeOW enough to merit spending $2.50 PER MAP, then why in the world are you complaining about not being able to play it now??? I thought you said youd ont play it much to begin with so you dont want the maps. So what exaclty is the problem?!?! hahahahaha

  • Sniperwire

    Posted May 4, 2007 9:30 pm PT

    u suck once again microsoft. thanks for nothing. your always out to xscrew us consumers. If Cliffy wants the maps to be free then let them be free dang it. i'm getting really fed up with microsoft in many areas not jsut xbox 360 and there not giving me many reasons to like them anymore.
    GregersVarg the microsoft staff got their own mouth to feed.. they got to make money as well....

    Posted May 4, 2007 10:38 pm GMT

    and btw bro Bill Gates is worth an estimated $40 BILLION DOLLARS 40 BILLION the last thing they need is money

  • onthe_dl

    Posted May 4, 2007 9:23 pm PT

    i don't play gears enough to want new maps, now epic has screwed me because i can't play online anymore. everyones playing the new maps and it won't let me filter the non new maps. this is total bs it's rendered the mp completely unplayable for me now since it takes forever to find matches.

    thanks i think i'm going to trade this game in now. it's actually such a shame

  • digitalgawd

    Posted May 4, 2007 7:38 pm PT

    ya thats total BS that microsoft wont allow the people that created the maps to do what they really want to do, which is give them to us for free, microsoft keeps pissing me off more and more, bastards, dont buy these maps, wait til they become free, at least hats of to Epic that tried to make the content free, but MS can kiss my @$$, greedy bastards. Obtain them the way the developers intended and wanted you to get them, FREE, i advise everyone that hasnt purchased them to wait, we as a community must make our voices and opinions heard by this money hungry behemoth that is MS.

  • crazymoose99

    Posted May 4, 2007 7:17 pm PT

    If I remember correctly the halo 2 multiplayer maps cost 25$ and there was what... six of them? 10 dollars isn't bad. If you have an Xbox360 we know your not a starving ugandian and can afford it. But w/e I still have to try them out lol .

    p.s. ps3killah... do you know how to speak RIPOFF the English language?

  • ps3killah

    Posted May 4, 2007 7:01 pm PT

    wow $10 for maps ripoff man ill wait ripoff i feel bad for the ppl that cant wait till its free lol $10 for a map thats a BIG ripoff!!!

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