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.

Arriving on December 6, this update adds extra value for Season Pass holders and includes two brand new maps, “Gearsmas” goodies plus a whole host of fixes and improvements. And for anyone that hasn’t picked up the game yet, it’s 33% off from December 1 to December 28.

Following the release of fan-favorite maps Checkout and Drydock last month, two brand new battlegrounds will arrive with the December Update.

• Speyer: Evacuated long ago, this lonely district of Speyer is a still image of pre-Locust War life. The battle for the sanctuary is a close quarters affair, but teams looking to control the sprawling academy will need to do so together. Speyer's opulent interiors and quaint plazas are best suited to longer range engagements.
• Glory: A monument of military might, this COG battery was used only against the most strategic targets to maintain its secrecy. The defensibility of this fortress can be used to your advantage if captured, which includes a powerful mounted turret that can suppress the courtyard below.

Both maps will be added to public playlists starting December 13. As we say hello to Glory and Speyer, we say goodbye (for now) to Gridlock and Relic. As a reminder, all maps in “Gears of War 4” are added to playlists for free, with maps rotating in and out of public playlists. For non-Season Pass holders that want to keep playing maps no longer in rotation, individual maps can be purchased in the Gears of War store.

Updates and Improvements

Since launch, we’ve listened closely to fan feedback to help guide our development of updates and improvements. This latest update includes several highly requested improvements along with some new features including:

• A Daily Rewards system
• Improved visual feedback for damage dealt with the Gnasher
• Vertical Split-Screen for Windows 10 players
• Improvements to footstep audio balance, audio/video settings
• A whole lot more!

We’ll be detailing the full map rotation changes and Title Update notes this Friday on GearsofWar.com.

Our team continues to work on additional important features to improve the online experience for future updates, including a pre-game lobby for Core and Competitive as well as a number of punitive tools to discourage or prevent quitting. Thank you for all your feedback – please keep it coming!

Bonus Credits and XP for Season Pass Holders

With this update, Season Pass holders will earn additional XP and Credit rewards when playing the Developer Playlist during the week it’s available. Season Pass holders will continue to get early access to new maps (December 6 for Speyer and Glory), and have access to all DLC maps permanently for use in Versus and Horde Private Matches. We’re continuing to look at adding even more benefits and value for our Season Pass holders in the future.

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.