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.

Going live today, January 10, this update introduces a huge 280 new Cards to collect, two of the most popular maps in franchise history, and hotly requested community features that further improve the “Gears of War 4” online experience.

The Series 2 Collection brings 280 new Cards to earn as you play

Series 2 is here, bringing with it our biggest content drop to date with 280 new Cards to collect. From iconic characters of the past, to a wealth of new weapon skins, there is something for everyone in this latest drop. All Series 2 cards are available in standard Gear Packs and are craftable using Scrap.

Thirteen (13) new characters are up for grabs in Series 2, including the first delivery of Legacy Characters in “Gears of War 4!” Armored Anya and Armored Sam are back in their Gears 3 armor, and Zombie Minh rises from the dead (sporting Raam’s blade-sized hole in his chest!). Additionally, there are over 260 new Weapon Skins to collect across 13 full weapon skin sets.

Fan-favorite maps return

This month, two fan-favorite maps come to life in Gears of War 4: Blood Drive and Clocktower!

Blood Drive: Blending together the best of Gears 2’s original take and the Gears 3’s re-imagining, Blood Drive in “Gears of War 4” brings back intense, center-map pillar fights with the improved flow of its refined sibling. Spawn at the Diner or the Morgue, then head to the city streets to battle it out over the Longshot and Overkill.

Clocktower: Clocktower also returns to Gears of War 4, re-imagined as the stunning Bank of Bronn as it’s slowly claimed by the Swarm. The imposing classic Gears architecture brings back memories of the battles you know and love, from the intense close-quarters combat in the lower streets to the Lancer-heavy crossfire at the Bank entrance.

Both maps are available to Season Pass holders in the Developer Playlist today (including Double XP and 20% more Credits), and will be available for free for everyone in Public Play starting January 17th.

More Value for Season Pass Holders

Today, we’re excited to announce the Series 2 Airdrop for Season Pass holders! Arriving January 13th, this special Season Pass Airdrop is loaded with twenty Gear Packs containing sixty random cards from the Series 2 Characters and Weapon Skins, giving you a head start on building your new collection of content.

This new Airdrop will be awarded to anyone who has purchased the “Gears of War 4” Season Pass, and instantly to any new Season Pass holders from that date onward. In addition, Season Pass holders will also now be able to log in and claim a bonus Bounty Gear Pack every Friday!

New Gameplay Features

Alongside the release of Series 2, Title Update 3 brings the first phase of a hotly requested community feature – quit penalties. Our new matchmaking timeout system punishes leaving the fight early, while our Join In Progress feature gives you the flexibility to rejoin the battle for a short time – if, say, your dog tripped the power cable. It happens.

This new update also contains improvements to Spectator Mode, keeping the action front and center while adding new features that give you more information about the intense eSports action playing out live. See it in action this Wednesday, January 11 for the first time during the Gears eSports Fight Night from 3pm PDT on live.gearsofwar.com.

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.