Be sure to join us tonight at 5:00 PM EST for a live stream with the Gears of War: Judgment development team and @Raczilla on Twitch.tv/EpicGames.

Tonight’s topics will include the Gears of War: Judgment Lost Relics DLC, your comments and more!

Source: Epic Games Community

The Gears of War: Judgment DLC “Lost Relics” is coming in June! The pack will include four new maps, a new single objective gametype, new armor and new weapon skins. Checkout is returning in this DLC, plus 3 new maps, Lost City, Museum and Ward(OverRun map)

BREAKTHROUGH – Breakthrough is a single-objective gametype that features two teams with very distinct roles: one team has possession of a flag that they must deliver to a set location; the opposing team has a purely defensive role and unlimited resources.

The attacking team must break through the enemy team’s defensive line and deliver the flag before their pool of lives run out. 

Source: Epic Games Community

May 13 – May 20, 2013
Each week, members from the Gears of War community will be chosen to be the Epic Reaper. Members will be chosen based on their contributions to the community.

Our new group has been chosen and some are returning for another week!

Each will receive a set of custom Gears of War: Judgment dog tags.

You will still also be able to find some of the developers from Epic Games playing as the Reaper as well as Raczilla, Cher and Fl4k.

Brad – UK – Gamertag: SHiIfT N DRiiFT
Louisa – UK – Gamertag: Ms A Chievement
Tyron – South Africa – Gamertag: Supanov4 ZA
Nicolò– Italy – Gamertag: QuiD Insane
Gears0fWarMX- Mexico- Gamertag: Gears0fWarMX (zero instead of an O)
Jeremy – France – Gamertag: exes DIESEL 
Jim – US – Gamertag: Tao Devil
Sammo – US – Gamertag: iAmSammo
Monte – US – Gamertag: I EV0L 0NE I 
JP – Brazil – Gamertag: John Ja Pierre

Follow the Reaper_Tracker for hints where they will be. Thanks to Gnashes and Bizkitdoh for the feed and good luck slaying the Reaper! If you would like to nominate someone to be the Reaper, you can post in THIS thread or on Twitter using the hashtag #GearsReaper.

Maxim has sponsored another Gears of War: Judgment DLC, this time delivering a map called “Dreadnought”, which is a OverRun map, it is free right now for a limited time, so go download it now!

“In the months immediately following Emergence Day, the COG managed to capture some Locust Berserkers.  Thinking that a ship at sea would be safe from an underground enemy, the COG decided to transport their prize to a secure research facility via the CNV Pomeroy. Little did they know that the Locust had waterborne beasts from the underground rivers of the Hollow, or that the Locust soldiers would use them so relentlessly to rescue the captured Berserkers.  The Pomeroy was corralled into a narrow channel and forced ashore, where the Locust sent a mass of troops to assault and overwhelm the beached vessel.”

Source: Epic Games Community

Be sure to join us tonight at 5:00 PM EST for a live stream with the Gears of War: Judgment development team on Twitch.tv/EpicGames. Tonight’s topics will cover some of your questions, the Gears of War: Judgment test server and more!

Source: Epic Games Community

Each week, members from the Gears of War community will be chosen to be the Epic Reaper. Members will be chosen based on their contributions to the community. Our new group has been chosen and some are returning for another week!

Each will receive a set of custom Gears of War: Judgment dog tags. You will still also be able to find some of the developers from Epic Games playing as the Reaper as well as Raczilla, Cher and Fl4k.

Malcolm – UK – Gamertag: Mad Dog Malcs
Louisa – UK – Gamertag: Ms A Chievement
Tyron – South Africa – Gamertag: Supanov4 ZA
Monte – US – Gamertag: I EV0L 0NE I 
Paolo – Italy – Gamertag: Kaos CeeJay
Ervin – Mexico- Gamertag: EMK KrAuSeR
Jeremy – France – Gamertag: exes DIESEL  
CJ – US – Gamertag: CJ 1825
JP – Brazil – Gamertag: John Ja Pierre
Follow the Reaper_Tracker for hints where they will be. Thanks to Gnashes and Bizkitdoh for the feed and good luck slaying the Reaper! If you would like to nominate someone to be the Reaper, you can post in THIS thread or on Twitter using the hashtag #GearsReaper.

Source: Epic Games Community

Massive updates that should go live soon, possibly as early as of 9AM EST today.

- Dual weapon loadout will be propegated to all playlists with the exception of FFA.
- Stim grenades will be removed from all playlists with the exception of FFA.
- Torquebow charge time reduced back to Gears 3 Active levels (from 2 seconds down to 1.5 seconds).
- Prize boxes updated in the next TU to deliver all content before doling out XP (instead of assigning randomly).

We also went through the community feedback list and looked at everything we could. Here’s a rehash of our response from tonight’s live stream event:

I. Maps / Content 

A. Only 4 traditional multiplayer maps
Map counts increased significantly with current and future DLC. Everyone has had great feedback on what they’d like to see in the future, and we’re still working on getting you guys new content. Not sure that we’d be able to pull over a massive content dump from Gears 3, but we’re definitely working on incremental changes that will get you guys what you want. More DLC is coming, stay tuned!

B. Maps are not symmetrical
DLC maps are either symmetrical or much more symmetrical than release maps. Think layouts that are “more Haven, less Gondola”.

C. Maps are too big
Future DLC map designs are smaller and/or flow better so that combat is less segregated. We’re also setting up hard swaps that focus the action along the midline for Execution.

D. Updates are only “Server side”
We have made an effort to get changes up and tested as early as possible so that we can include them in the required title updates. This will ensure that a good number of the changes are actually present in a LAN setting. We’re also posting change notes and trying to be proactive with communication before changes are implemented.

E. No Locusts in standard versus multiplayer
This cannot be changed at this point. We can, however, make some changes to improve sound and visual recognition between teams. More on that to follow.

II. Melee

A. Reverse 2 Piece possible
We’ve adjusted melee pretty significantly to address these issues. If melee is in the game, you will always be able to shoot someone, and then finish them with a hit. We’ve adjusted delays a bit to help prevent this tactic from being abused, and adjusting it too much further will create the unnatural delays and obstructions to gameplay that we have previously removed in response to your feedback on this very topic.

B. Speed
See above.

C. Range
We have not seen a range difference, and the code has not changed in that regard. There is a chance that latency is affecting this in some circumstances, and it will require more investigation.

III. Matchmaking / Ranked (Incentive)

A. Too many playlists
We’re still working on solutions to this problem, but it is a highly complicated beast (of our own making, to be sure).

B. Ranked vs. Quick match Experience earned
Ranked XP will be increased. We’re working on some other incentives to draw people into Ranked as well (more “competitive-style settings”, for example).

C. Little incentive to play ranked
Judgment does indeed use skill-based ranking as part of its matchmaking algorithm. In point of fact, it essentially IS the Halo matchmaking system as that was the standard put forth by Microsoft. The main difference is that we do it under the hood. This does mean that we don’t have a ranked league-style system, and adding that at this point would unfortunately be out of scope for Judgment. We’re working on other Ranked incentives, however, that don’t require a full redesign of our matchmaking, UI, and infrastructure.

IV. Weapon Balancing (Spawn / Power)

A. Gnasher
We’re working on a fix to allow players the option to toggle their on-screen reticule. The close range “inconsistency” people report is actually an intentional fix that favors the player to ensure they get a proper kill when the barrel of the gun is touching another player’s cylinder. An ammo count change is highly contentious in public forums, and we feel pretty strongly that the current ammo levels actually favor Judgment’s weapon balance. The best option at this point is to increase ammo to 16 and try it in the Test Server.

B. Lancer
A change to the Lancer may indeed favor competitive players who intend on using it in a support capacity. However, the larger majority of the community does not appear to agree that it needs updating. It is currently performing in its intended role across all gametypes, and changing it could create a cascading effect that requires a rebalance of all starting weapons.

Changing to a two-weapon loadout is unlikely to create a huge imbalance in the weapons. The reality of the game stats is that within a few seconds of spawning, you’re either dead, or you have a secondary weapon anyway, so pulling that back to spawn doesn’t significantly move the needle in terms of game balance.

That said, the best option is to make your suggested changes in the Test Server, along with the Gnasher changes, and see how it plays out. We’ll do that ASAP. We’ll start with the clip size reduction and make further updates if necessary.

C. Booshka
Agreed. Clip size and starting ammo being reduced.

D. Boomshot
Agreed. Starting ammo being reduced.

V. Grenade Balancing

A. Ink Grenade
Internal QA is looking into the reported issues. More info to follow.

B. Stim Grenade
Stim grenade being removed from loadout and moved to a pickup in some playlists.

C. Ammo boxes
We’ll try pulling grenades out of ammo boxes in the Test Server, and propagate globally if there is a good response.

VI. Audio (In-Game)

A. Sound isn’t accurately location based
We can’t realistically change our sound engine at this point, but we can (and will) significantly reduce your (and your team’s) footstep volume. If you hear someone, that’ll pretty much guarantee that they are an enemy. We could also reduce the radius of the footstep sound a bit to make it less apparent when they’re above/below you, but that would require a Title Update to implement, and another to change back if the change isn’t well received. Probably too risky at this point.

VII. Glitches

A. Movement
Not getting into cover is due to a series of complicated factors that are made more apparent by Judgment’s increase in game speed and player density. We’ll look into it, but it may not be fixable.

B. Characters
Kim’s hitbox already fixed in the upcoming TU.

Boomshield already adjusted on female characters in the upcoming TU.

I’m not 100% clear on the characters failing to show visual recognition on successive shots, but if I had to guess, I’d say that is by design to prevent them from spamming the same animation over and over while taking damage. As long as the other visual feedback is registering (blood, etc.) then I don’t see this as a major problem. Will need to investigate further.

C. In Game
If players can join a private game, then that is a bug – unless it is from a player following someone in the game who is NOT set to private (that’s a Microsoft rule). QA is investigating.

VIII. Final Suggestions

A. Domination Gametype
Changed time to break hills from 2 seconds to 1 second.

B. Upgrade spectator mode (mega wish)
Extremely out of scope for Judgment, but excellent feedback for the future.

C. Theater mode (mega wish)
Extremely out of scope for Judgment, but excellent feedback for the future.

___

Lastly, this weekend’s event will be Torquebow Tag (back by popular demand!). With all the changes going through the game, we figured it would be best to let things stabilize and give everyone a chance to test thigns out and get a feel for everything. So TB Tag will stay up throughout the week, and we’ll look at the return of the Test Server next week.

As always, let us know what you think, and what you’d like to see next. See you all online!

Source: Epic Games Forums

“Be sure to join us tonight at 5:00 PM EST for a live stream with the Gears of War: Judgment development team on Twitch.tv/EpicGames. Tonight’s topics will cover some of your questions and the Gears of War: Judgment community wishlist compiled by @FatalStryke.”

Source: Epic Games Community

Each week, members from the Gears of War community will be chosen to be the Epic Reaper. Members will be chosen based on their contributions to the community. Our new group has been chosen! Each will receive a set of custom Gears of War: Judgment dog tags.

You will still also be able to find some of the developers from Epic Games playing as the Reaper as well as Raczilla, Cher and Fl4k. We haven’t heard back yet from our US choices, so we’ll let last week’s picks play another day.

Malcolm – UK – Gamertag: Mad Dog Malcs
Tyron – South Africa – Gamertag: Supanov4 ZA
Raine – US – Gamertag: Huntress187
Monte – US – Gamertag: I EV0L 0NE I 
Joseph – US – Gamertag: fatalstryke
Paolo – Italy – Gamertag: Kaos CeeJay
Ervin – Mexico- Gamertag: EMK KrAuSeR
Follow the Reaper_Tracker for hints where they will be. Thanks to Gnashes and Bizkitdoh for the feed and good luck slaying the Reaper! If you would like to nominate someone to be the Reaper, you can post in THIS thread or on Twitter using the hashtag #GearsReaper.

Source: Epic Games Community

Epic Games have been running a test server which has been active since April 22nd, just some of thing’s they’ve been doing is “classic loadout”, which allows the player to spawn with 2 primary weapons, removals of stim grenades and double XP for all games played in this playlist, click here for the full details.

This playlist is run by the communities feedback, currently there’s four new hot topics listed below, click on each to give your opinion on what needs to be changed.

-      Interest in a permanent Classic Rifle/Shotgun loadout option

-      Your thoughts on how Stim Grenades should be handled

-      Feedback on weapon placement on the MP map Blood Drive

-      Feedback on weapon placement on the MP map Boneyard

You can also use the hashtag #GOWTest on Twitter to express your opinions, and get playing on the test server so we can get Judgment to reach it’s full potential.

Source: Epic Games Community

“Each week, members from the Gears of War community will be chosen to be the Epic Reaper. Members will be chosen based on their contributions to the community. Our new group has been chosen! Each will will receive a set of custom Gears of War: Judgment dog tags.

You will still also be able to find some of the developers from Epic Games playing as the Reaper as well as Raczilla, Cher and Fl4k.

Alexander – Australia – Gamertag: Ghostofdelta2
Danilo– Italy – Gamertag: NeDan89
Greg – Canada – Gamertag: LambentHammerb
Scott – UK – Gamertag: UIR Onyx Scott
Monte- US – Gamertag: I EV0L 0NE I 
Rob – US – Gamertag: BlameOcey
Brian – US – Gamertag: MeatheadMilitia
Carlos -Mexico- Gamertag: KrLosZ
Follow the Reaper_Tracker for hints where they will be. Thanks to Gnashes and Bizkitdoh for the feed and good luck slaying the Reaper! If you would like to nominate someone to be the Reaper, you can post in THIS thread or on Twitter using the hashtag #GearsReaper.”

 Source: Epic Games Community

The latest expansion for Gears of war: Judgment, the Call to Arms Map Pack, is coming to VIP Season Pass holders on Tuesday, April 23 and will be available worldwide April 30. The Call to Arms Map Pack brings players three new multiplayer maps, a brand-new mode called “Master at Arms” and six armour and gun skins for customizing your characters and weapons.

New Maps:

Terminal

Terminal: (OverRun) The speed and ferocity of the Locust invasion took Halvo Bay completely by surprise.  Residents scrambled to evacuate by every means possible, and COG forces were called in to maintain order as martial law was enforced.  However, the Locust showed no mercy, and gave no quarter; they swept through train terminals like this one to take advantage of the close quarters and sheer number of defenseless humans trapped within its walls.  Sometimes, COG forces could hold the line long enough for a final evacuation, but too many lost their lives in defense of the people and the land they loved.

Blood Drive

(Standard Multiplayer) As casualties started to mount, the staff at Halvo Memorial quickly began what would become the largest triage effort in the history of Sera.  Their “Give Blood Today” campaign inspired a global blood drive in support of COG forces and wounded civilians.  Sadly, Halvo fell quickly, and the hospital became a battlefront instead of a sanctuary.  The seed of hope was planted, however, and government-run Memorial hospitals across the country mobilized to keep the effort alive until Jacinto Memorial was the last standing bastion of hope for the people of Sera.

BoneYard

(Standard Multiplayer) The concept of traditional memorial services had to be suspended due to the constant stream and alarming volume of casualties as Sera fell victim to the Locust Horde.  Memorial grounds quickly became boneyards.  Unmarked holes became grave sites and mausoleums were filled with the nameless remains of the fallen, their skeletons piled into heaps.  Tread lightly, you never know what, or who, you’re walking on, and one day you’re bound to join them.

New Mode: “Master At Arms”

This new free-for-all game mode exclusive to “Gears of War: Judgment” will test the true range of your soldiering skills.  The goal is to get a kill with each of the 20 different available weapons, without resorting to melee or grenade tactics.  Every successful kill will automatically advance you to the next available weapon until you have used them all and proven your skill as a true Master at Arms.

Be sure to join us tonight at 5:00 PM EST for a live stream with the Gears of War: Judgment development team. If you have any questions you’d like to ask the devs, post them below in the comments!

You can watch the stream April 18 at 5:00 PM EST on Twitch.tv/EpicGames

Source: Epic Games Community

Each week, members from the Gears of War community will be chosen to be the Epic Reaper. Members will be chosen based on their contributions to the community. Our new group has been chosen! Each will will receive a set of custom Gears of War: Judgment dog tags.

You will still also be able to find some of the developers from Epic Games playing as the Reaper as well as Raczilla, Cher and Fl4k.

Alexander – Australia – Gamertag: Ghostofdelta2
Danilo– Italy – Gamertag: NeDan89
Andrew – Canada – Gamertag: Parasidian
Mark – UK – Gamertag: KING MARK xNIRx
Lex- NL – Gamertag: FlexForce
Neil – US – Gamertag: MVViking71
Nick – US – Gamertag: Noodie 5
Carlos -Mexico- Gamertag: KrLosZ
Follow the Reaper_Tracker for hints where they will be. Thanks to Gnashes and Bizkitdoh for the feed and good luck slaying the Reaper! If you would like to nominate someone to be the Reaper, you can post in THIS thread or on Twitter using the hashtag #GearsReaper.

Source: Epic Games Community

Be sure to join the stream today at 5:00 PM EST or 10PM GMT(UK) for a live stream with @Raczilla and the Gears of War: Judgment development team. If you have any questions you’d like Raczilla to ask the devs, post them below in the comments! You can watch the stream April 11 at 5:00 PM EST onTwitch.tv/EpicGames.

Source: Epic Games Community

“Join Revolution Gaming this week for a Gears of War: Judgment Free-For-All Tournament, April 20th and 21st. The first place winner will receive an MLG Astro A40 headset! Head over to http://rg_live2.eventbrite.com/ for more information and to sign up. After signing up, contact Joe at jkruty@hotmail.com to be entered in the bracket. You can also contact him via TWITTER. Good luck if you enter!”

Source: Epic Games Community

“Each week, members from the Gears of War community will be chosen to be the Epic Reaper. Members will be chosen based on their contributions to the community.

Our new group has been chosen! The first group are members of theEpic Games Forum moderation team who are back for another week and three of our valued forum members, Parasidian, ICookieCLOWN and king-mark. Next are Connor, a member of the competitive community who has been playing Gears of War since the early days and Michael from Russia who has been playing Epic Games since the very beginning. You may also know him as _Lynx from the Beyond Unreal forums. Also returning is Eugene from Taiwan.

Each will will receive a set of custom Gears of War: Judgment dog tags.

You will still also be able to find some of the developers from Epic Games playing as the Reaper as well as Raczilla, Cher and Fl4k.

James – Australia – Gamertag: IxI Zap IxI
Ruben – Italy – Gamertag: Nc DarkAp89
Andrew – Canada – Gamertag: Parasidian
Mark – UK – Gamertag: KING MARK xNIRx
Shane- UK – Gamertag: Avenge Cookie
Connor – US – Gamertag: Bizkitdoh
Michael – Russia – Gamertag: AryssSkaHara
Eugene – Taiwan – Gamertag: yakitori420

Follow the Reaper_Tracker for hints where they will be. Thanks to Gnashes and Bizkitdoh for the feed and good luck slaying the Reaper! If you would like to nominate someone to be the Reaper, you can post in THIS thread or on Twitter using the hashtag #GearsReaper.”

 

Source: Epic Games Community

Update Notes and statistics

“So, it appears that one or two of you have noticed a couple changes to the game recently.  I’m long winded, but I’ll get to a list of changes below. Skip ahead if you’re impatient, it won’t hurt my feelings…

We hit this strange point of convergance where we had people off at GDC, and out for the Holiday weekend, and our DLC hit earlier than expected, and… anyway, enough excuses. It was a great opportunity to make some updates that could reach a broad audience, but it happened before we had a real chance to engage with you guys. This obviously led to some questions, and in a few cases, some good old fashioned rage. I like passion.

We want Gears to be a “living product”. Over time, it will grow, and it will change. It will make mistakes, and (hopefully!) it will learn from them and be better because of it. Just like me and (dare I say it) you! But the main thing here is that we want this Gears to be a conversation. From the outset, we’ve wanted to make a game for you, and one that we’d want to play with you. So I’ll say up front that if you ever have questions, concerns, or just want to chat Gears… you can absolutely feel free to contact me. Will I respond to every message I get? Nope! Will I read each and every single one? Yep! Raczilla, Flak, and our amazing team of community mods are all there, too. They want to talk to you. This isn’t an invitation to spam, or harass, or complain. This is an invitation to start a real dialogue on how we can make Gears better. Together.

Still with me? Sweet! Here’s the promised list. Apologies for not getting it out earlier:

- Execution now available as a gametype. Execution, I missed you. Desperately. Welcome back!
- Under the hood, Warzone has always been called TDM; this led to a bug in the menus where Warzone was actually showing up as an available option. No, it was not Warzone, it was a broken version of TDM thanks to a typo. Typo fixed, Warzone no longer showing up. (Sorry if we got your hopes up!)
- New map released. Look for Haven in standard MP!
- Mortar wasn’t working properly on clients, so it was replaced by Torquebow (only affects Gondola). May be addressed properly in future patch.
- Frags were appearing in Execution under some conditions, so all base Frag pickups replaced by Smokes. This, too, is a temporary fix to keep the game moving, and will be addressed properly in a future TU. This also affects only Gondola. Poor Gondola has had a rough week.
- Boomshot appears to be horribly OP in Execution. Boomshot has therefore been temporarily removed from Execution gametype. Would love feedback here.
- Smoke nade count reduced from 2 down to 1 in Execution.
- Removed the ability to martyr smoke grenades. Executions are now fun in Execution again.
- Smoke cringe duration slightly reduced.
- Shortened lifespan of Stim grenades in standard MP. Overrun/Survival unchanged.
- Value of XP in all prize boxes increased.

OK, here’s the more controversial changes. Feedback appreciated:

- Shortened the melee stun significantly, and added a very, very short delay after melee swing with the Gnasher. Note that Sawed Off now inherits from the Gnasher, so this change will affect both. Melee was getting more kills than all other weapons in the game combined, excluding the Gnasher.

- Lancer buffed (about a 15% increase). My gut says that’s a bit much – and Pete is wary as well – but we wanted to let it play out a bit and see how it shifted the balance of gameplay. In the first week of release, approx. 80% of all kills in MP were from the Gnasher. (Were you one of the people who claimed this was going to be a Rifle only game? Eat your words! ) I would love to hear your thoughts as to whether this is because the Gnasher is the preferred weapon (not a problem) or if the Gnasher is the only way to play because balance is off (a problem). Obviously, the true answer lies somewhere in the middle, but we should still look at it.

- Retro and HB both given a very, very, small buff (1 bullet fewer to kill with Retro, and a fraction of a bullet less (math is fun!) for the HB) to help them hang with the new and improved (?) Lancer.

I’m hoping to avoid gut reactions and assumptions here. Instead, we want to make decisions based of actual experience and data. So: Go ye forth and play. Then play more. THEN give us feedback. We’d love to hear it.”

The Rifle Buff Poll

If you don’t like the changes they’ve made you can go here, make and account and register your vote to decide whether to keep the rifle buff or to revert to how the game was at launch. As you can see in the videos I’ve shown there’s a huge uproar about this update from a lot of people, but you decide.

Source: Epic Games Forums

“Each week, members from the Gears of War community will be chosen to be the Epic Reaper. Members will be chosen based on their contributions to the community.

Our new group has been chosen!  The first group are members of theEpic Games Forum moderation team who are back for another week one of our valued community members from Brazil. Rounding out the group is a favorite Community artist, Alvaro in Chile. We also have two UK Reapers signed up and we’ll announce them later today or tomorrow.

Each will will receive a set of custom Gears of War: Judgment dog tags.

You will still also be able to find some of the developers from Epic Games playing as the Reaper as well as Raczilla and Fl4k.

Cher – USA – Gamertag: CherLeigh
James – Australia – Gamertag: IxI Zap IxI
Ruben – Italy – Gamertag: Nc DarkAp89
Gnashes – US – Gamertag: Gnashes
Alvaro – Chile – Gamertag: Dizzy Boomero
Eugene – Taiwan – Gamertag: yakitori420
Paulo – Brazil – Gamertag: paulohmarques
Shaun – UK – Gamertag: eX Shauny

Follow the Reaper_Tracker for hints where they will be. Thanks to Gnashes and Bizkitdoh for the feed and good luck slaying the Reaper! If you would like to nominate someone to be the Reaper, you can post in THIS thread or on Twitter using the hashtag #GearsReaper.”

Source: Epic Games Forums

DLC Update

• The first DLC pack and Title Update for Gears of War: Judgment is dropping a few days early. Today, (Friday, March 29) in fact!
• The pack includes a new multiplayer map called Haven and the fan-favorite mode Execution.
• We have created special playlists for Haven and Execution which will feature 2 XP for a limited time. VIP pass holders will receive 3 XP within that playlist for a limited time.
• IMPORTANT: You must download the DLC pack directly from the Xbox 360 dashboard or add it to your download queue via Xbox.com. The dialogue box prompting you to download the pack in-game is not functioning properly and will be fixed as soon as possible.

Title Update Details

• Various dedicated server improvements.

• Players no longer get stuck in the main menu background after playing three random matches.

• Locusts no longer spawn at the second E-Hole on the first wave of Island.

• Players will no longer get stuck inside of a Boom Shield that has been planted by an enemy player.

• Players will no longer able to look down the scope with a Markza while holding a Meat Shield.

• If a Locust destroys an objective at the same time the timer runs out in OverRun using Mercy rules, the match will not end early.

• Fix for exclamation points not disappearing after viewing an unlocked character.

• While holding a Meat Shield you will only need to tap B to melee.

• The Meat Shield will now drop if you switch to the snub.

• The “Spray and Pray” ribbon can now be earned in the first round.

• If the Boom Shield is disabled in weapon swap you will no longer see the icon in Tac-Com.

• You will now earn the Team Savior ribbon for reviving three individual teammates in a single life.

• Players can no longer chainsaw another player while holding the Boom Shield.

• Improvements to the Hammer of Dawn targeting.

• You will now see XP tallies between matches.

Source: Epic Games Forums

“Many of you have been asking who the voice actors are for the Gears of War: Judgment characters. In this installment of the Gears of War series, Baird, brought to life by Fred Tatasciore, takes center stage. Fighting beside him is his friend Augustus Cole, voiced by Lester Speight. Rounding out Kilo Squad is Paduk (Chris Cox) and Sofia (Ali Hillis). Be sure to check out “Gear Talk” for question and answer sessions with Cole and Baird! Learn more about Kilo Squad HERE.

Other cast members include Carolyn Seymour who voices a perfectly evil Queen Myrrah, Michael Gough who takes on the role of the humble Carmine and Laura Bailey as the smart aleck, Alex Brand.

Below is a full list with links to pages about this talented bunch!”

Fred Tatasciore (Baird) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Tatasciore

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0851317/

Lester Speight (Cole) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Speight

http://www.lesterspeight.com/

Chris Cox (Paduk) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Cox_(actor)

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0184963/

 

Ali Hillis (Sofia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Hillis

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0385029/

Bruce Thomas (Loomis) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Thomas_(actor)

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0858573/

Michael Gough (Carmine)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Gough_(voice_actor)

http://www.michaelgough.com/

John DiMaggio (Marcus) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_DiMaggio

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0224007/

Carlos Ferro (Dom) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Ferro

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0274967/

Carolyn Seymour (Myrrah) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Seymour

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0786809/

Laura Bailey (Alex Brand)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Bailey_(voice_actress)

http://www.lizardbee.com/

 Source: Epic Games Community

Two weeks ago, we posted about a new character skin in Gears of War: Judgment, the Gears Reaper. The Reaper has special abilities and physics so he’s not very easy to kill. If you do manage though, you will be rewarded with the Reaper medal and custom weapon skin!

Each week, members from the Gears of War community will be chosen to be the Epic Reaper. Members will be chosen based on their contributions to the community.

We have chosen our first Reapers from the community! The first group are members of the Epic Games Forum moderation team, the Epic Games Forum Clan and one of our valued community members from Brazil. Each will will receive a set of custom Gears of War: Judgment dog tags.

You will still also be able to find some of the developers from Epic Games playing as the Reaper as well as Raczilla and Fl4k.

Cher – USA – Gamertag: CherLeigh
James – Australia – Gamertag: IxI Zap IxI
Ruben – Italy – Gamertag: Nc DarkAp89
Cat – UK – Gamertag: Hurricane Cat
Al – UK – Gamertag: DJ CARNIV AL
Paulo – Brazil – Gamertag: paulohmarques

Follow the Reaper_Tracker for hints where they will be. Thanks to Gnashes for the feed and good luck slaying the Reaper! If you would like to nominate someone to be the Reaper, you can post inTHIS thread or on Twitter using the hashtag #GearsReaper.

Source: Epic Games Community

ArCtyC and Skyllus are at it again – making fun informative tutorial videos to help the Gears of War community. In this video, Skyllus walks, er ticks us through some of the new Locust mechanics in the Gears of War: Judgment mode, OverRun. The Ticker is one of the most valuable classes in your attack against the COG’s defensive.

From ArCtyC: Welcome to the first episode of our Gears of War Judgment Lesson Series for Overun. I’m Skyllus and I’ll be going through all of the Locust classes for Overrun. This video features the Ticker and covers how to maximize points, deal with Engineers, eat grenades, and general gameplay tips.

Be sure to Follow Skyllus and ArCtyC on Twitter!

Source: Epic Games Community

“Looking to unlock some of the awesome new weapon and character skins the game?  Look no further because this video has all the info you’ll need to prepare for launch tonight, including all of the unlocks for purchasing the VIP Season Pass!”

Video

Guide to Unlockables

Pre-Order Bonuses

Classic Hammerburst

Comes with every Pre-Order.

Alex Brand

Available From Microsoft Store(US) or ShopTo(UK)

Young Marcus

Available From GameStop(US) or GAME(UK)

Lambent Skin

Available from GameStop

Young Dom

Available from Amazon(US) or Amazon(UK)

Gears 3 Anya

Available from BestBuy(US), Tesco(UK) or GrainerGames(UK)

Promotional Bonuses

Gears 3 Baird

Available through Brisk Promotion(no longer available)

Brisk Weapon Skin

Available through Brisk Promotion(no longer available)

Brisk Armour

Available through Brisk Promotion(no longer available)

Jungle Tai

Available through Oberto Jerky Promotion(no longer available)

Big Game Weapon Skin

Purchase Brady Games Guide from your local retailer.

Team Metal Weapon Skins

Specially marked 3 month Xbox Live Gold Cards(Lancer Only)

Special Events

Team Pulse Weapon Skin

Play Special Event Playlist by March 28th.

Window Web Weapon Skin

First 100,000 shares of Launch Trailer with GameStop App or through a pre-order from GameStop.

Paintball Weapon Skin

Visit TrenchesofJudgment.com and complete the tasks to redeem your code.

Reaper Weapon Skin

Kill Epic Reaper in Multiplayer.

Epic Reaper

VIP Pass Weapon Skins

Ares Bronze

Hazardous

Zebra

Flames of Judgment

Hot Rod

VIP Pass Amour Skins

Dark Carnival

Plaid

Big Game

Arctic

Source:Epic Games Communuty

“This week’s special event in Gears of War: Judgment is Breechshot and Spot Grenade only in Domination. You will receive a ribbon if you participate in the event.

Be sure to try and find the Gears Reaper!

Epic developers will be using the Gears Reaper skin. If you kill them, you’ll get a special medal and weapon skin! Also, look for these gamertags – these players will be wearing the Reaper skin.

EpicGowJ
GearsReaper2
GearsReaper3
Raczilla
Fl4k

Click here for more information about the Gears Reaper! If you would like to nominate someone to be the Reaper, you can post in THIS thread or on Twitter using the hashtag #GearsReaper.

Earn a custom weapon skin this week!

Play between March 19th and March 28th on the special event playlist to receive the special Team Pulse weapon skin!”

 

Source: Epic Games Community

IGN – 9.2

“Gears of War: Judgment is a fantastic prequel with superb combat, fun multiplayer, and a meaningful story.”

Gametrailers – 81

Gears of War: Judgment tells the story of a squad that refuses to do things by the book, but while it risks a certain amount of backlash from fans that balk at its minor changes, this soldier is content to operate within established parameters and focus on doing his job, one twenty-minute-or-so mission at a time. It’s solid, it’s capable, it fits with the identity of the series. In short, it’s Gears.

Eurogamer – 80

“Even with the pall of over-familiarity lingering over it, Gears of War: Judgment is a timely reminder that ruthless focus on gameplay, generosity towards players and good old-fashioned design craft can still pay dividends at a time when big-budget action games are at risk of fragmenting into splinters of mindless busywork. Sometimes, being a bloody good shooter is all that’s required.”

Kotaku

“Ultimately, the guns are still meaty, the roadie run still feels exhilarating, the speed and force in which your body hits cover is still satisfying, the locales are still great ruin porn. It’s an evocative game, a remarkably carnal experience for a video game in which nothing sexual actually happens.

Thought of in that context, though, Judgment reminds me that the worst thing a lover can do is become too familiar.”

Venturebeat – 70

“Judgment just might be the game that drops Gears of War out of the triple-A tier. It is competently done and no more. The rock-solid gameplay returns intact — virtually identical, in fact — and the Declassified options bump the entertainment value up a few notches, but the epic scope and precision level designs that elevated the franchise beyond its mechanics simply aren’t here. Similarly, OverRun’s takeover of the multiplayer, fun as it is, can’t completely compensate for an overall pullback on modes. This is a smaller game. If you’re a huge Gears fan and that doesn’t bother you, Judgment’s your huckleberry. I’ll wait until the bombast makes a comeback.”

Joystiq – 4.5/5

“Whether it’s multiplayer or single-player, Gears of War: Judgment proves that, for all of the series’ trademark spectacle and flair, it all boils down to executing simple combat concepts well. A diligent approach to ensuring that no two encounters are the same keeps it from ever feeling stagnant or like a waste of your time. You’re always moving, constantly pushing through the next enemy stronghold, never sure of what you’ll face, and it’s always harrowing.”

Xbox 360 Achievements – 89

“Despite the almost fractured feeling that Gears of War: Judgment carries, it’s still a fine package and a must have for Gears fans. Two great campaigns, some innovative new modes and plenty of Locust stomping action. It’s just a shame Epic and PCF had to take away features from the title to add new ones.”

The sixth axis – 7/10

“Gears Of War: Judgment is a good game and I can see hours being invested into the multiplayer. However, it isn’t as good as its predecessors – Gears 3 for example – with a story that is quite forgettable. Instead, the Aftermath side mission had a lot more potential for being the main campaign, providing a more cohesive and familiar experience. So, Judgment is a good Gears game but it’s not a great one.”

The escapist – 4/5

“Gears of War: Judgment is gorgeous in its destruction and the gunplay is simply unmatched, as has been the case with every Gears title since its inception. The fact that the game doesn’t offer anything significantly new is definitely a point against it, but it remains undeniably fun to play.”

Rev3games – 3/5

Likes – Multiplayer map design is strong, Survival/Overrun are decidedly fun
Dislikes – Single player is a slog, Nothing distinct about combat scenarios

New game network – 77

“This being potentially the last game in the franchise on the Xbox 360, Gears of War Judgment shows that the developers have mostly ran out of ideas. While it is still a competent shooter, we can only hope the series can return to its former glory with the dawn of next console generation.”

Destructoid – 90

“Gears of War 3 was still a great little game, but represented the kind of step down indicative of a series that’s running out of steam. Gears of War: Judgment puts paid to that impression, proving there’s plenty of vitality in Epic’s flagship yet; provided it’s willing to try some new spins on its established formula. OverRun alone is worthy of praise, but there’s just so much stuff going on in this package, there’s something for all followers of the series. A few of Judgment’s experiments may not be as fondly received as others, but overall it’s hard to complain about a game that tries so much, and succeeds in almost all its endeavors.

This is Gears of War back, unquestionably, on the winning path.”

Giantbomb – 3/5

“Despite my feelings that Baird is the most extraneous character in the Gears universe and a general feeling after Gears 3 that I was probably done with this franchise, Judgment is still a good time. It doesn’t let its story get in the way of its action, and the declassified modifiers had me playing Gears in ways that I normally wouldn’t, making for a more interesting challenge than the typical difficulty settings offer. But the lack of maps just sucks every last bit of life out of the multiplayer, regardless of its new modes.”

Digitalspy – 3/5

“To sum up, Gears of War: Judgment is not a bad game, but one that very much stands in the shadow of its more illustrious predecessors. It is a bit like going back to a favourite restaurant, only to find that the management has changed and it’s just not quite the same anymore.

Sure, you’ll still have a pretty decent meal, but you’ll also leave yearning for days gone by.”

Videogamer – 7/10

“On the whole however Judgment is a solid effort that, in some ways, changes the Gears formula for the better. Whether it will be remembered as anything other than a stopgap is questionable, but small qualms aside, it’s a good one.”

Gamereacter – 7/10

“And Gears of War is still one of the best exclusives for the console. As such you’re comparing Judgment against its predecessors rather than standalone, and as such it comes up short. It feels less of a fanfare, nor quite the amalgamation of everything that’s went before. The multiplayer options, while individually great, are sparse as a collection. Yet the tweaks to the mechanics make sense and work well, and coupling higher difficulties with Declassified missions will give fans a workout on campaign. And that’s really what Gears of War: Judgment is: another intense and highly enjoyable romp in the Gears universe. And for some that’s going to be enough.”

Machinima – 85

“The difficult-but-fair single-player was very satisfying and well-paced, with extremely well implemented co-op, something rare in games these days. Overrun is a welcome addition to the Gears multiplayer suite, even if there’s little variety among the modes. If you’re a Gears of War fan anticipating more stop-and-pop, cover-to-cover action, cease reserving your judgment and pick up a copy of Judgment.”

Official xbox magazine 8/10(UK)

“The biggest compliment I can pay Judgment is that it feels like a game born of a distinct philosophy, rather than something snapped together last-minute from old parts to hold the fort while Epic’s next-generation projects take shape. Both its strengths and its weaknesses are the result of a vision of how the experience of slaughtering tunnel-loving bogeymen should be, and while the results aren’t as spectacular or generous as we’re used to, they put up a damn good fight. As regards that charge of franchise fatigue, Epic and People Can Fly have earned this series a comfortable reprieve.”

Official xbox magazine 8/10(USA)

“Its engrossing multiplayer modes make Judgment easy to recommend, even if we found its main story campaign weaker than its predecessors’. The game offers a stunning-looking blend of tried-and-true Gears gameplay and nifty new features that’ll no doubt pacify franchise fans until the inevitable Gears of War 4 steamrolls the competition. But if you’ve yet to acquaint yourself with the series and hoped that this prequel would be your introduction, we’d suggest grabbing a copy of Gears of War 3 instead.”

NZ Gamers – 8.8

“While originality was never something Gears of War aimed for, it knew what it wanted to do and did it very, very well. And it looked and sounded great doing it. Is that going to be enough to satisfy fans a fourth time round? Probably. And Judgment is every bit a great shooter. It’s just that – even this early in the year – it’s not the best looking, best sounding, or the most cinematic game of 2013.”

Strategy Informer – 8.5

“That combination of familiarity with new features is a common theme within Gears of War: Judgment. It’s still the same series that many of us have known and loved over the years, but with some, mostly, appreciated tweaks. The Campaign might only last around 6-7 hours, but there are plenty of reasons to go back, ensuring that Gears of War: Judgment feels more than just an expansion pack to its predecessors. It might prove a little too arcade style in nature for some, but it’s tough not to be drawn into the sheer spectacle and bravado that the series has always been so great at offering.”

Gamesradar – 4/5

“Not only an incredible action game, but the most enjoyable Gears of War game yet–plot holes be damned.”

Digital Trends – 7/10

“This $60 Gears is not at all equal to the $60 Gears that was released in 2011, or the one that preceded it in 2008. It falls short. Considerably. There are great ideas for sure, new bits that could strengthen the series in years to come, but even if Gears of War: Judgment is the necessary backwards step for forward progress, that doesn’t mean you have to like it.”

Canadian Online Gamers – Score 80

At the end of the day, the best way to describe Gears of War: Judgment is that it is a good game, but not a great game. It does some good things for the series, but yet misfires a few steps along the way. Sure, the visuals and sound are solid, and there is an interesting story, but this same story manages to miss a beat now and then, like the lack of a details for Baird and Cole at this juncture in the Gears timeline, and not enough of a story at all for the new characters Sofia and Paduk. At the end of the day fans of the franchise will no doubt enjoy much of what is offered, as will newbies to the series, but I can’t help but feel that it is somewhat less than the games released before it.

Cheat Code Central – 4.8/5

“There are a ton of things that could have gone wrong with a prequel to a series like Gears of War. Judgment embraced these issues and delivered. I praised Gears of War 3 for all it accomplished and Judgment continues that level of excellence. There’s also a little surprise for you when you complete Judgment that fans of the series will truly love. While I may not be able to predict the direction of the series from this point, I can definitely say I hope this is not the last we see of these characters.”

cnet

“Best for Gears of War veterans,The fourth Gears of War game feels a lot like its predecessors, save for a few new characters, weapons and unique way of storytelling.
It’s tough to recommend Gears of War: Judgment as an introduction to the franchise despite the game’s chronological location in the Gears universe. There’s a heavy amount of backstory being explored here, so it’s worth checking out the original trilogy first.”

TG Game Reviews - 8.5/10

Gears Of War: Judgment was another great entry to the Gears Of War series, it had some problems which was mostly due to the campaign, but nothing so negative that it is worth lowering the final score even more. I liked how Judgment was a change in direction compared to past Gears games content like the campaign adding these welcomed new features. Also props for not just adding a separate campaign to be used as a DLC. Multiplayer was really fun too, and while I am writing this review I just want to go back to the game and level up some more which shows you how much I liked this game. If you were unsure before reviews whether to get Gears Of War: Judgment or not, I say to them people “Get this game!”

Metro – 8/10

“A pleasingly worthwhile prequel that tweaks the structure and context of the campaign and multiplayer to the point where it seems surprisingly refreshing.”

Polygon – 8/10

“As a side-experiment with class-based multiplayer and more aggressively arcade-influenced shooting, Gears of War: Judgment doesn’t feel essential in the same way its predecessors did. If three games in five years left you with your fill of Gears of War, Judgment may not be enough to change your mind. But as a well-executed supplement to its parent series, Gears of War: Judgment is easy to recommend. People Can Fly have added enough cool new bits to make the game feel fresh, even if they’re not re-inventing the series.”

Source: Epic Games Forum

“Judgment is almost upon us and Gears Community Online Network (Gearscon) is having a#RiseofJudgment Launch event for the Gears of War Community. Epic Games will be providing Gears of War: Judgment character and weapon skin codes.

Be sure to check here for more info!”

Source: Epic Games Community

“Meet Baird, Sofia, Paduk and Cole, the members of Kilo Squad.

Baird: The smart-ass engineer of the squad.

He may be a pain at times, but you’ll be happy to see his sentry go into action if you’re in battle

Cole: Eternal optimist and cheerleader. Happy to hand you some ammo if you run out.

Sofia: Halvo Bay native and war correspondent, Sofia believes in fighting wars ethically.

Paduk: Former enemy of the COG, this Gorasnayan fought against the COG during the Pendulum Wars.”

Source: Epic Games Community

Join Will Kinsler (@Raczilla) this Wednesday night March 13 at 2:00 PM PT and 5:00 PM ET for an OverRun live stream with Epic GamesProducer Alan Van Slyke (@AlanVanSlyke) and Xbox LIVE’s Director of Programming Major Nelson, aka Larry Hryb. Alan and Larry will talk about OverRun tactics and play a few games of Gears of War: Judgment’s OverRun mode. At around 6:30, Alan and Larry will be stepping out and Senior Gameplay programmer Pete Knepley (@PeteNub) will be stepping in. Pete will be playing some multiplayer gametypes such as Free For All and Domination.

We’ll also be making a thread in the Epic Games Forums HERE in case you have any questions for Pete or Alan! You can see the stream live on the Epic Games Twitch.TV page!

Source: Epic Games community

“This weekend during SXSW, Epic Games PR Manager Wes Phillips revealed the Epic Reaper character from Gears of War: Judgment during a panel with Sr. Producer Chris Wynn and Sr. Gameplay Programmer Pete Knepley. Each week, one member from the Gears of War community will be chosen to be the Epic Reaper. Members will be chosen based on their contributions to the community. The Epic Reaper has special abilities and physics so he’s not very easy to kill. If you do manage though, you will be rewarded with the Reaper medal and custom weapon skin!

The person who is chosen as Reaper will receive a set of custom Gears of War: Judgment dog tags. Epic employees will also have the Reaper skin available, so if you kill them, it will count towards the medal and skin.

If you would like to nominate someone to be the Reaper, you can post in THIS thread or on Twitter using the hashtag #GearsReaper.”

Source: Epic Games Community

Check out the official Gears of War: Judgment Launch Trailer!

Emergence Day just unleashed hell upon the people of Sera. A young Lieutenant named Damon Baird and his team, Kilo Squad, must square off against an indomitable locust villain to save a city and its people, and no rules or orders are going to stand in their way. Pre-order Gears of War: Judgment, the most intense Gears game yet, and pick it up in stores starting March 19, 2013.

ESRB RATING: MATURE (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language)

Source: Epic Games Community

“An infrared tripwire beam and high explosive darts will have you looking around corners and watching where you step. Let’s take a look at the Tripwire Crossbow. This deadly weapon is sure to be a fan favorite.”

Source: Epic Games Community

“The Alexiy Desipich Memorial Library is not a library in the traditional sense, but rather an archive of important documents surrounding his life, career, and personal interests. An avid historian, politician, and philosopher, Desipich is most remembered as the father and creator of the Austere Canon, the basis for the Coalition of Ordered Governments, which was shaped around eight guiding principles: Order, Diligence, Purity, Labor, Honor, Loyalty, Faith, and Humility.”

Source: Xbox Live Site

“When the Locust invaded Halvo Bay, they attacked from all sides. A patrol of COG soldiers noticed the mass of Kryll pouring from the Angry Bear Waste Disposal yard and what followed was one of the strangest battles of the war; in order to save the city, the COG found themselves defending (of all places) a junkyard. This lone patrol had to hold the Locust at bay until an HOD satellite could be aligned to seal off the E Holes, permanently.”

Source: Xbox Live Site

“UK gamers were invited to play Gears of War: Judgment early at the UK community event.

Shaun Akerman aka ShaunyPwns from GCON and Alex “RNX FREWZ” Frewin from GOWForum.net and Aarron Ash aka Yamimash were among the gamers asked to attend. See what they and the other attendees had to say about their first hands-on with Gears of War: Judgment.”

Source: Epic Games Community

“Bring the new season to life on Xbox LIVE for your chance at a great prize!

Just play a multiplayer session of Gears of War 3 or download HBO GO on Xbox 360 to enter for your chance to win one of five custom Xbox 360 consoles. Five lucky winners will each score one custom Xbox 360 prize console. For all the details on the Swagfest Sweepstakes visit www.xbox.com/swagfest or check out the Official Rules.”

Source: Epic Games Community

“We’re giving away one large Gears of War: Judgment “Chicks Dig the Baird” t-shirt in honor of the shirt being on sale at Hot Topic! There are several ways to qualify and each one counts for an entry – so the more you complete the more chances to win. The giveaway is open now and will run through Friday, March 8th. Click here to use the widget and enter!”

Source: Epic Games Community

“Be sure to grab the Gears of War: Judgment Collector’s Edition Strategy Guide by BradyGames!

Not only will you learn strategies for working through the campaign and playing multiplayer, you’ll also receive an exclusive “Big Game” weapon skin!

This guide will bring you comprehensive multiplayer coverage and will help you master every game mode, including the addictive new OverRun class-based experience. Not only that but it also includes:

• Detailed Multiplayer and Single-Player Maps: We depict every area of the game by pinpointing mission objectives, weapons and ammo,Declassify locations, Multiplayer mode-specific callouts, fortifications, and more!
• Declassified and Three-Star Tactics: We uncover the new “Mission Declassified” system.  If your gunning for a three-star ranking, we show you how to get it!
• Every COG Tag: We reveal the location of every last COG Tag – Don’t miss a single one!
• Exhaustive Campaign Walkthrough: Created by Epic’s studios, our walkthrough offers two-tiered strategy: number highlights keyed to the level map for a quick outline, as well as in-depth analysis for step-by-step detail including the Aftermath supplement.

Click HERE to preorder at GameStop. GameStop always offers a 10% discount when you purchase the game and the guide together!”

Source: Epic Games Community

The war for Sera ignites on March 19 with the highly anticipated release of “Gears of War: Judgment.”

The VIP Season Pass for “Judgment” will be available at launch for 1600 Microsoft points, providing players with a more than 20 percent discount across a broad range of content, including six multiplayer maps, two new modes and nine exclusive unlocks.

The VIP Season Pass is the only way you can score a permanent double XP boost as well as a cache of exclusive armor and weapon skins, and it is your only chance to get a jump on the competition with exclusive, early access to all Game Add-on multiplayer maps. With the VIP Season Pass you will get:

• Two upcoming Game Add-on Packs that include six multiplayer maps, two new modes, and new weapon and armor skins

• Early access to Game Add-on multiplayer maps so you can be the first to play

• A permanent double XP boost to accelerate your ascent through the ranks

• Five exclusive weapon skins and four exclusive armour skins

Source: Epic Games Community

“Microsoft, Epic Games and MAXIM are delivering even more adrenaline-fueled action to “Gears” fans with the upcoming post-launch release of two free, MAXIM-sponsored multiplayer maps – Haven and Capitol – as well as Execution Mode.

In Execution mode, the objective of each team is to kill all members of the enemy team before the time limit runs out. The catch? Unless hit with a one-shot kill weapon like the Booshka, players go into a “Down But Not Out” state and will revive at the end of the bleed-out timer instead of dying. To finish the job, perform an Execution on a downed enemy.

For more details including a first look at Haven, head over to Maxim Online at: www.maxim.com/gow-haven.”

Source: Epic Games Community