The Horde Command Pack is currently out for download, featuring 3 new maps horde upgrades/features, 3 characters and a weapon skin.

However, the three maps can't be played online in competitive matches (Public/Ranked) due to a dedicated server issue.

These 3 maps will be playable on Nov. 24th as well two new maps (FREE) from Gears 1. Clocktower and Swamp.

Swamp wasn't any name of a map in Gears 1, so I'm assuming they mean Bullet Marsh (It closely resembles a swamp) and just renamed it.

Source: http://www.360sync.com/2011/11/01/free-multiplayer-maps-coming-to-gears-of-war-3-on-thanksgiving-day

(FREE) should have really been in the title, lol. This is awesome! Big props to Epic, I sure as hell know MS didn't make this free.

@ez123 said:

(FREE) should have really been in the title, lol. This is awesome! Big props to Epic, I sure as hell know MS didn't make this free.

Haha, yes I guess so. Yeah, it was nice of Epic. They had free DLC in Gears 1 once before, MS didn't like it too much :p.

I think it's hard to ship maps for free when MS is publishing your game lol, Epic did it again though. So +1 to them.

@OtakuGamer: I don't think the Horde maps from today's pack will be free, they'll just be playable online then. The two maps from Gears 1 are the free items.

I could be wrong though.

@OtakuGamer: The weapon skins are on the disk too, didn't stop them charging for that. I'm just happy to get 5 free new maps, your situation sucks but it has always been pricey to be an early adopter.

@OtakuGamer said:

@ez123 said:

(FREE) should have really been in the title, lol. This is awesome! Big props to Epic, I sure as hell know MS didn't make this free.

No. Fuck Epic. I brought this shit an hour ago to find out the main content is going to be free in 3 weeks from now. What the fuck is that about? 800msp for 3 characters, some horde upgrades that I can't obtain yet and a weapon skin?

Heck, people who don't have it can play it anyway since its on the disk. 1.42mb download for new content.

Same here. I do want the rest of the DLC as well, but if it's the same story (where I could have just played it the way I wanted in public versus) with those then I shall feel sorely ripped off. To be honest, map packs that you can only play in private matches or by the luck of the draw in public horde are fucking useless to me.

You guys realize now those maps will be more accessible online now? Instead of never being able to play the new maps because people didn't buy them. Plus they can't get the achievements.

I bought it too.

Basically you guys wanted to get them for free, but never play on them. Is it worth it?

I bought the Season Pass to get versus maps, and that's about it. If the maps are being given away for free, then I essentially wasted my money on things I won't use.

This just emphasizes the issues with a Season Pass - I'll think twice about buying one before I know exactly what's in it.

@MagikOvenMit said:

I'll think twice about buying one before I know exactly what's in it.

Isn't that obvious when buying anything?

Oh well, I'm glad I made my purchase. Although I completely see where you guys are coming from and why you're mad. I still get the other 3 DLC's too and don't have to worry about being able to play the maps online because 1 other person in the match didn't have them.

Clocktower and the possible Bullet Marsh maps? Fuck. Yes. I'm not surprised that the horde maps are being moved to competitive multiplayer.

@MagikOvenMit said:

I bought the Season Pass to get versus maps, and that's about it. If the maps are being given away for free, then I essentially wasted my money on things I won't use.

This just emphasizes the issues with a Season Pass - I'll think twice about buying one before I know exactly what's in it.

This.

I only bought the damn season pass for maps and they end up giving them away for free. I don't care about the skins, achievements or Horde "upgrades" and more annoyingly is it's already on the disc.

I took a gamble with the season pass and lost out badly. Won't be buying one again.

@OtakuGamer said:

@ez123 said:

(FREE) should have really been in the title, lol. This is awesome! Big props to Epic, I sure as hell know MS didn't make this free.

No. Fuck Epic. I brought this shit an hour ago to find out the main content is going to be free in 3 weeks from now. What the fuck is that about? 800msp for 3 characters, some horde upgrades that I can't obtain yet and a weapon skin?

Heck, people who don't have it can play it anyway since its on the disk. 1.42mb download for new content.

Just a way of tricking people into buying it. Obviously nobody would pay $10 for the characters, upgrades, and skins. Solution? Lie and say the maps are part of the dlc, then when launch comes and everyone buys it, announce it'll be free with two other maps on Thanksgiving. Fucking Microsoft.

@Afroman269 said:

Clocktower and the possible Bullet Marsh maps? Fuck. Yes. I'm not surprised that the horde maps are being moved to competitive multiplayer.

They confirmed that it is in fact Bullet Marsh with Kryll in the map like before.

@Intro said:

@Afroman269 said:

Clocktower and the possible Bullet Marsh maps? Fuck. Yes. I'm not surprised that the horde maps are being moved to competitive multiplayer.

They confirmed that it is in fact Bullet Marsh with Kryll in the map like before.

I really do like bullet marsh from gears 1 so i hope thats what swamp is :3

all i need now is the process map :D.

@Afroman269 said:

Clocktower and the possible Bullet Marsh maps? Fuck. Yes. I'm not surprised that the horde maps are being moved to competitive multiplayer.

I can't remember Bullet Marsh (Was that a DLC map?) but Clock Tower was good fun. Stoked for this.

And yeah, I can't see them building Blood Drive and then not putting that as a VS map. Wasn't 90% (or something) of the online multiplayer in Gears 2 played on that map?

@Sweep: Ya, it was from the second map pack that EPIC put out with the maps Process and Garden. I liked the map because of the Krill element and being able to shoot out the generators.

Also I enjoyed doing this a lot.

Ultimately this is very good news. Versus mode will be invigorated with 5 new maps. We also get more maps to play in in Horde and Beast. For those that us that bought the Season pass and now aren't getting quite as much for our money as we thought...well, hey, the sums of money involved aren't huge so it's no big deal. We still get a decent amount of stuff that people who only buy the Booster pack won't get: achievements, Horde upgrades, characters and weapon skins are a pretty big part of the Gears experience and something the die hard fans will get something out of.

@davidinwrofy: What are you talking about not getting as much content for what we payed? There's still the single player DLC that's coming in December. This versus thing doesn't count as a DLC pack towards the season pass because it's free for everybody. There's still another piece of content yet to be announced.

We still get a deal in the end anyway...