Gears of War 4 December update to bring new maps and holiday deals

The critically-acclaimed shooter Gears of War 4 is going to become a lot more interesting over the next few days. Earlier today, we reported that players would be able to test crossplay Versus during a special test weekend starting tomorrow, December 2nd, but developer The Coalition has just announced more good news today on Xbox Wire.

On December 6, a second major update for Gears of War 4 will be released on both the Xbox One and Windows 10: players can look forward to several new features and gameplay improvements while Season Pass holders will get early access to two new multiplayer maps. Let’s dive into the details below.

December Update highlights

• New 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

While some of these new features are the result of direct feedback from players, The Coalition shared today that more goodies are in the pipeline including a pre-game lobby for Core and Competitive matches as well new punitive tools to discourage players to quit multiplayer matches.

New maps

Starting December 6, Season Pass holders will get early access to two new maps, Speyer and Glory and earn additional XP and credit rewards when playing them for a limited time. Both maps will be available to everyone starting December 13, and you can have a sneak peek at them below:

As a reminder, Season Pass holders will continue to get early access to all new maps and be able to keep playing all DLC maps permanently in Versus and Horde Private Matches. For all the others, map rotation changes will remove previous maps temporarily though individual maps will remain available to purchased in the Gears of War 4 store. “We’re continuing to look at adding, even more, benefits and value for our Season Pass holders in the future,” added The Coalition.

Upcoming “Gearsmas” goodies

The Coalition is bringing back its “Gearsmas” Holiday tradition this year, and you can expect “new content to earn through play, special holiday heads and a new Special Event featuring a wintery twist on a classic Gears of War weapon.” More details will be shared about the goodies in the coming days.

Last but not least, Gears of War 4 will be 33% off ($35.99 in the US) from December 1 to December 28, and this is definitely a great game purchase for this holiday season.

Further reading: Games, Gears of War 4, The Coalition, Windows 10, Xbox One