Set on the fictional planet of Sera, the “Gears of War” series charts the story of humanity’s struggle against fearsome and brutal adversaries through a captivating tale of hope, comradery and survival.

After narrowly escaping an attack on their village, JD Fenix and his friends, Kait and Del, must rescue the ones they love and discover the source of a monstrous new enemy. “Gears of War 4” returns the franchise to the dark tone and intensity of the original and includes split-screen and online co-op, the next generation of five-player favorite, Horde Mode, 60 frames-per-second Versus multiplayer, and stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 4.

Two of the most popular Gears of War Legacy Maps will make their debut in Gears of War 4 with the addition of Checkout and Drydock for Versus Multiplayer and Horde.

Available November 1 for Season Pass holders as part of the early access Developer Playlist, Checkout and Dry Dock will also be introduced into free public playlists on November 8. The addition of Checkout and Drydock signals the first month of free map updates for Gears of War 4. Owners and fans can look forward to two new maps each month.

Checkout: Revisit the iconic supermarket in Cole’s hometown of Hanover 25 years after the events of Gears of War 3 in this Legacy Map. Much like the rest of Sera, nature is reclaiming whatever it can following the Locust Wars, but that hasn’t slowed the fast, furious and frenetic combat that takes place between the checkout lanes and the electronics department.

Drydock: Transported from a COG ship building facility to a ship breaking scrapyard on a Seran mudflat, this fan-favorite returns with a vengeance to Gears of War 4 Versus Multiplayer and Horde modes.

In addition to the release of these fan favorite maps, tune into Xbox Wire on November 1 for a sneak peek at the Run the Jewels “Air Drop” featuring playable Killer Mike and EL-P characters for Versus Multiplayer and Horde.

Season Pass owners also receive five exclusive digital items as part of the Vintage VIP Pack, including the Vintage JD character skin, Vintage Gnasher and Dropshot weapon skins, Vintage JD Emblem and Vintage JD Bounty for extra XP; permanent DLC map ownership of over 24 additional maps (two per month for a year) for private play on dedicated servers; access to an exclusive Developer Playlist where new maps, modes and features can be tested prior to broad release; and the Starter Airdrop, a care package that outfits gamers with over a dozen Gear Packs and grants assorted character and weapon skins, Horde skills and abilities, and XP boosting bounties.

Key Features:

• New Story, Heroes and a Nightmare Reborn: The first chapter of an all-new “Gears” saga thrusts players into an epic and perilous journey through the wilds of Sera. Fight as JD Fenix – son of the legendary hero Marcus Fenix – as he embarks on a desperate mission with his friends Kait and Del to find their missing loved ones and confront a fearsome new threat.
• Never Fight Alone: Rev up your Lancer and fight your way through the Campaign with a friend over Xbox Live or via local split screen co-op, with the option to play as JD, Kait or Del. Cross Play lets Xbox One and Windows 10 gamers play together in cooperative modes like Campaign, Horde and Co-Op Versus.
• Shared Progression and Achievements with Xbox Play Anywhere across Xbox One and Windows 10: Cloud saves enable you to switch seamlessly between both versions of game, giving you the freedom to play where you choose. Both versions are included with a single purchase.
• Fight through a Dynamic and Deadly Environment: Brace yourself against ferocious windflares that blow away cover, bend your shots and drastically alter the battlefield, forcing you to employ new tactics. As the windflare intensity increases, each enemy confrontation evolves into a brutal fight for survival in this tale of Man vs. Monster.
• New Arsenal of Weapons and Combat Tactics: Pummel your enemies from cover with new close-cover combat moves like yank, vault kick and a bloody new combat-knife execution. Make use of dangerous new weapons, like the Buzzkill and Dropshot, to shoot around and over cover, raining destruction from all angles.
•  The Best “Gears” Multiplayer Experience Yet: Whether you enjoy powering through the co-op Campaign, fending for survival in Horde mode or testing your skills in frenetic Versus Multiplayer matches running in 60 FPS on dedicated servers, “Gears of War 4” is the ultimate game to play with friends.
  • Explosive Versus Multiplayer Action: Compete in intense multiplayer gametypes that reward social, competitive and professional players alike, including new modes like Dodgeball and the premier new competitive “Gears” multiplayer mode, Escalation. Track your progress with the new visible ranking system that drives online matchmaking and lets you stand out for your abilities.  
  • The Next Generation of Horde: Team up with up to four other players and weather the onslaught using class-based skills and dynamic fortifications. For the first time, you can build and deploy defensive weapons and fortifications anywhere on the map.
  • Play with Friends Against AI Foes: Fine-tune your skills in Co-Op Versus, where your match-made team of five squares off against increasingly punishing AI teams.
• The Complete “Gears of War” Collection: For a limited time, “Gears of War 4” (both digital and retail versions) will include the entire Xbox 360 “Gears of War” collection. Play through the original “Gears of War” trilogy and “Gears of War: Judgment” on Xbox One via backwards compatibility, amounting to over 50 hours of “Gears of War” gameplay.