‘Gears of War 4’ sees return of two classic maps and hundreds of new cards

By Gabe Gurwin January 10, 2017

Gears of War 4 - Blood Drive Multiplayer Map Flythrough

Gears of War 4 continues to be one of the best competitive shooters on the market today and its developer, The Coalition, has not just stuck with the content it delivered in October. In January, two classic maps are getting re-imagined for the new game and hundreds of new skins will let you customize your characters further.

Available now to season pass holders and available to all players on January 17, Gears of War 4 brings back Gears of War 2‘s “Blood Drive” and the original Gears of War‘s “Clocktower” maps, redesigned to more closely align with the aesthetic and themes of the new game.

“Blood Drive” features the dilapidated “Diner of the Morgue” structure, a burger joint, and a pharmacy, which have now been all but destroyed by the ravenous Swarm. Outside, piles of red leaves line the corridors where the majority of battles will take place. Several raised structures and stairways allow for players to get the drop on enemies — possibly with the “Dropshot” weapon introduced in last year’s game.

“Clocktower,” first seen in the original game, has a somewhat steampunk-influenced design, with the enormous tower standing on top of decaying streets that have been completely overtaken by the Swarm. The “Bank of Bronn,” with large ATMs and concrete pillars, is the perfect place to hunker down and blast away at a few enemies.

In addition to the new maps, this month Gears of War 4 was also be adding 280 new customization cards. These include new character choices such as “Zombie Minh” and “Armored Anya,” as several new weapon skins — some of which are actually animated. Season pass holders will also be receiving twenty extra Gear Packs containing 60 random cards from the aforementioned new collection on January 13.

Gears of War 4 is available for Xbox One and PC. The latest title update also adds penalties for quitting matches as well as a spectator mode for esports lovers.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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