Halo 4 ushers in the return of mankind’s greatest hero, the Master Chief, in a newly envisioned, epic sci-fi adventure.

Set nearly five years after the events of Halo 3, Halo 4 follows the Master Chief and his faithful artificial intelligence (AI) companion Cortana as they venture into a mysterious new world and discover an overpowering ancient evil that threatens to annihilate mankind. With humanity’s fate hanging in the balance, the Master Chief and Cortana are thrust into a desperate mission against overwhelming odds to save mankind from the threat of imminent extinction.

Halo Week: Drop Shock brings a concentrated supply of new Halo 4 content, giveaway opportunities, promotional pricing, DLC sales, and availability of Volume 2 of the original soundtrack. Whether you’re a seasoned Spartan or a War Games newcomer, the maps, music, and promotions of “Halo Week: Drop Shock” will equip you with the tools and toys to keep you and your friends geared up for battle.

Monday, April 8 – Castle Map Pack launches on Xbox Live

Kicking off the week of Spartan festivities, the Castle Map Pack is launching worldwide on Monday, April 8. Developed by Certain Affinity in collaboration with 343 Industries, the Castle Map Pack brings players three medium-to-large, maps that emphasize vehicular combat and large battles over stunning open spaces, where team strategy is the key to successfully conquering the battlefield.

Alongside the release of the Castle Map Pack, 343 Industries will introduce Competitive Skill Rank (CSR), a new 1-50 level ranking system which measures your performance in War Games, intelligently matches you against opponents of comparable skill, and displays your rank on your Halo Waypoint player profile. Starting April 8 at 2:00 a.m. PST and ending April 22 at 2:00 a.m. PST, play the Castle Team DLC playlist and reach CSR level 35 or higher at any point on or between dates above, and receive an exclusive Avatar tee.

Additionally, for fans that have not yet picked up a copy of “Halo 4,” the U.S. retail price will drop to a promotional estimated retail price of $39.99 on Monday. Moreover, for the first time, the full campaign of “Halo 3: ODST Campaign Edition” will be available as a standalone digital download on the Xbox Live Marketplace for $14.99 USD.3

Tuesday, April 9 – “Halo 4” Original Soundtrack Volume 2 Debuts

Following the critical and commercial success of the “Halo 4” Original Soundtrack by award-winning producer and composer Neil Davidge, 343 Industries is pleased to debut, in conjunction with 7Hz Productions, the release of “Halo 4” Original Soundtrack Volume 2. Xbox Twitter will be giving away soundtrack download codes to a limited number of fans in honor of the release, so follow us on Twitter at: @Xbox.

“Halo 4” Original Soundtrack Volume 2 is a 20-track digital release and companion volume, featuring an expanded landscape of the key musical themes from the game. Eleven of the tracks are composed and produced by Neil Davidge with a further eight by 343 in-house composer Kazuma Jinnouchi. The soundtrack also includes Kazuma’s new interpretation of Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori’s iconic “Never Forget” from “Halo 3.” The tracks on “Halo 4” Original Soundtrack Volume 2 are presented in chronological order as they appear in the game, to help bring the listener right into the heart of the “Halo 4” experience. “Halo 4” Soundtrack Volume 2 will be available for purchase on April 9 for an estimated retail price of $9.99 at www.halo4soundtrack.com.

Wednesday, April 10 – Rank up Your Spartan with Extra XP Challenges

343 Industries will turn up the heat with new “Extra XP” challenges throughout “Halo Week,” allowing you and your friends to rank up your Spartan faster by playing online.

With 14 daily and six weekly challenges, players will have the opportunity for extra Experience Points by competing in any “Halo 4” mode, be it War Games, Spartan Ops, or Campaign. These challenges were created specifically for “Halo Week: Drop Shock,” designed to reward more XP than standard challenges for players of all skill levels.  Daily Challenges can be earned once a day, all week long, so be sure to try and earn as many as you can each day!

Thursday, April 11 -  Spartan Ops Day with Giveaway Opportunity

What “Halo Week” would be complete without a day dedicated to the wildly popular Spartan Ops? Playable in single-player or cooperatively with up to three friends, explore the corners of Requiem in these objective-based chapters, and help uncover the secrets of the mysterious Forerunner world.  Starting April 11 at 2:00 a.m. PST and ending April 12 at 2:00 a.m. PST, play and complete any 5 missions of Spartan Ops and receive an exclusive Avatar tee.

Fans can also replay their favorite missions from Spartan Ops Season One as matchmaking for the entire season begins anew during “Halo Week: Drop Shock,” starting with the first episode.

Friday, April 12 – “Halo 4” DLC Sale on Xbox Live

On Friday, April 12, there will be a “Halo 4” DLC sale for anyone who has not yet purchased the “Halo 4” War Games Map Pass or the first two individual Map Packs. A listing of the sale prices is as follows:

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  • “Halo 4” War Games Map Pass: 1600 Microsoft Points (Originally 2000 Microsoft Points)
  • Crimson Map Pack: 600 Microsoft Points (Originally 800 Microsoft Points)
  • Majestic Map Pack: 600 Microsoft Points (Originally 800 Microsoft Points)

Xbox will be featuring social media giveaways throughout the week, so follow us on Twitter and Facebook for chances to win exclusive avatar items during “Halo Week: Drop Shock.”