Gears of War 4 is kicking off February with a new update that brings along a ton of new stuff for players to check out. In all, Gears players can check out two new maps that have been added to the multiplayer lineup, along with a special holiday celebration that collides the warm fuzzy feelings of Valentine's day with the gory carnage of Gears of War.
First up on the new map front is Impact Dark, a new take on the Impact map that makes things, well, a whole lot darker. The big gimmick with this version of the map is that it permanently reduces visibility with a cloud of smoke that has settled over the map. This changes up how you approach combat, and weapon swaps have been altered to match with close range weapons.
Next up is War Machine, which is a classic for Gears fans. As described on Xbox Wire:
Loved by Gears of War veterans everywhere, the quintessential classic, War Machine, is back with a drastic new take on the setting. Moving away from the old abandoned train station locale, War Machine is now set in a new COG Settlement, standing out with its pristine appearance and gleaming grandiose features. Compared to the original, signs of life are everywhere – from the active DeeBee security bay, to the train sitting at the end of the platform ready to depart.
Alongside both maps is a week-long Valentine's Day holiday celebration that will kick off in force on February 10. Throughout the week, you'll be able to pick up daily Valentine's themed bounties, a Craftable Character, and the return of Torque Bow Tag. The Coalition says it will have more to share on these celebration as the day draws near.
The Coalition has also teased some things that are coming down the pipeline in future updates. With the upcoming March update, Gears of War 4 is set to pick up Core and Competitive lobbies. Details are light for now, but we should hear more as the March update release approaches. Some new updates are coming to Horde mode later this summer as well, including:
- New "Inconceivable" Difficulty (Campaign & Horde)
- IronMan Mode (Campaign & Horde)
- Level 6 skills for all class skills
- More skills for existing classes
- New achievements
Lastly, starting next month, The Coalition says it will start the process of bringing a "steady flow" of Legacy Characters to the game, ranging from old heroes to the return of Locust characters.
That's a lot to take in, but it looks like there's no shortage of stuff on the roadmap to look forward to if you're a heavy Gears player.
