Gears of War might be the definitive cover shooter, but it doesn't actually have to be a cover shooter. In the aftermath of yesterday's big news, the transfer of the IP from Epic to Microsoft, Studios boss Phil Spencer has suggested that future games could venture beyond the pale.

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Microsoft Studios has purchased the rights to the Gears of War franchise from Epic Games, Microsoft announced. The publisher will take over all existing and future games in the series, and will hand development of future games over to Vancouver, BC developer Black Tusk Studios. Formerly Microsoft Vancouver, Black Tusk was said to be working on a new AAA game for Xbox One as of June 2013.

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Microsoft's Phil Spencer recently discussed the future of the Gears of War franchise and whether or not it will have a home on Xbox One. Speaking to IGN on the latest episode of Podcast Unlocked, Spencer explained that while the franchise was a huge part of the Xbox 360's lineup, it would need some reworking if it does ever come to the Xbox One, as the series essentially "ran its course on 360."

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Gears of War: Judgment's 'Lost Relics' DLC will be released today for all VIP members, Epic Games has announced. Non VIP members will be able to purchase the new content on June 25th for 1000MSP (£8.57/€12/$12.50).

The DLC includes four new maps, a new weapon and armor skins, as well as the new mode Breakthrough; 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.

Fly-through videos for each of the four new maps included in the DLC; Checkout, Museum, Lost City and Ward can be watched below:

Checkout

Museum

Lost City

Ward

Epic Games has announced an upcoming DLC pack for Gears of War: Judgment called "Lost Relics". According to the official news on the Epic Games forums, the new DLC will introduce a new online multiplayer game type called Breakthrough. The new pack will also feature four new maps; Checkout, Lost City, Museum, and Ward.

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Microsoft have released a new Gears of War: Judgement trailer showing off the upcoming Dreadnought DLC. Set on a beached vessel called the CNV Pomeroy, the Dreadnought multiplayer map will be released free of charge "for a limited time" on May 15th courtesy of Maxim.

The next Maxim-sponsored Gears of War: Judgment downloadable content has been revealed. Thanks to a partnership from the men's magazine, gamers can download a new multiplayer map--Dreadnought--for free beginning May 15th.

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The second map pack for Gears of War: Judgment, Call to Arms, will be available on April 23rd for Season Pass holders, and for 1000 MSP on April 30th for everyone else, Epic Games has announced.

The Call to Arms Map Pack includes three new multiplayer maps, a brand-new mode called “Master at Arms,” and six armour and gun skins for customising your characters and weapons.

Set against the backdrop of the Locust invasion of Halvo Bay, all three new maps provide a mix of close quarters and vertical combat.  The Call to Arms Map Pack provides 10 new Achievements worth a total of 250 Gamerscore. The official descriptions of the new maps and mode are below:

New Maps: 

Terminal: 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 defenceless 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 defence of the people and the land they loved.

Blood Drive: 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 mobilised to keep the effort alive until Jacinto Memorial was the last standing bastion of hope for the people of Sera.

Boneyard: 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 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.

Epic Games has released free Gears of War: Judgment DLC alongside a title update for the game. Sponsored by Maxim, the Gears of War: Judgment DLC introduces new multiplayer map Haven and the returning Execution mode.

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The multiplayer demo for Gears of War: Judgment has gone live for XBL Members. The 739.32 MB download can be picked up from the Xbox Live Marketplace, and you will be able to try out the OverRun mode.

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Rumours of the death (that's to say, exhaustion) of current generation console technology have been greatly exaggerated, it seems. According to Epic's lead level designer Jim Brown and People Can Fly art director Waylon Brinck, Gears of War: Judgment represents another quantum leap in terms of graphics and performance - and Brinck is confident studios can squeeze further gains from the hardware in future.

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Featuring the hit single “Shooting the Moon” from UK band 'Mona', the trailer offers a glimpse of Judgment’s challenging campaign and embodies the bold defiance, bravery and heroism of fan-favourite Damon Baird and Kilo Squad, as they face an unjust trial and fight to rescue the planet Sera from the brink of annihilation.

“Judgment is a tribute to the die-hard Gears fans who have been with us since the beginning, and an amazing experience for anyone who loves intense action and gripping, cinematic storytelling,” said Alan Van Slyke, Senior Producer of Gears of War: Judgment at Epic Games.

“Thanks to the support of partners at People Can Fly, we’ve pushed the Gears franchise in all-new directions, whilst bringing back some of the key elements that put us on the map, and we can’t wait to share it with the world later this month.”

A Gears of War Judgment demo, featuring the new OverRun multiplayer mode, will be available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace on March 19th. XP earned from playing the demo will carry over to the final game for those who purchase and play Judgment in the first week following its release.

Gears of War Judgment will launch in North America on March 19th and across Europe on March 22nd exclusively for the Xbox 360.

With its infrared tripwire beam and high explosive darts, the Tripwire Crossbow will have you watching where you step.

There's a whole 'nother "campaign" tucked away in People Can Fly's entertaining prequel Gears of War: Judgment, Epic has told OXM. It takes place during the final hours of Gears of War 3, and reveals what exactly Baird and Cole got up to while Marcus was busy putting down the Locust Queen.

A 'VIP Season Pass' for Gears of War Judgment will be available for purchase at the games launch for 1600 Microsoft Points, Epic Games has announced.

The VIP Season Pass provides players with a 20 percent discount across a broad range of content, including six multiplayer maps, two new modes and nine exclusive unlocks. In addition, the VIP Season Pass provides a permanent double XP boost as well as 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 armour 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.

In addition to the VIP Season Pass details, Epic has also announced that they will be providing free access to Execution mode and two new MAXIM-sponsored maps – Haven and Capitol – post-launch.

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, players must perform an Execution on a downed enemy.

Gears of War: Judgment will launch exclusively for the Xbox 360 on March 22nd in Europe and March 19th in North America.

The Breechshot is a high powered Locust rifle perfect for short to medium range shots and popping heads. It is also a powerful melee weapon, so you can get up-close and personal.

Another great weapon to add to your headshot count, the Markza is a long distance rifle with deadly accuracy and a large capacity mag.

Grenades that can ricochet? Check out the explosive Booshka.

Epic Games have today unveiled a new Gears of War: Judgment video entitled “The Guts of Gears – Multiplayer,” giving fans a look at the new multiplayer modes, weapons, in-game rewards and gameplay updates.

In the new video, everyone’s favorite smart-ass hero, Lt. Damon Baird, walks gearheads through four multiplayer modes, and showcases fresh ways to take down the opposition with new weapons, grenade types, and more:

Multiplayer Modes

Highlighted in the video are the following four multiplayer modes, with more to be announced closer to launch:

• OverRun: OverRun marks the first time that class-based competitive multiplayer has been introduced into the “Gears of War” series. Think of it as a combination of the popular Beast and Horde modes pitted against each other. OverRun is a 5v5 attack/defend game type, where the COG are always defending, and the Locust are attacking… and you have an opportunity to play both as attacker and defender to determine the winning team.
• Team Deathmatch: In this returning fan-favourite, two teams of five players start with a shared pool of respawns. The goal is to take out your opponents and deplete their respawns before your own pool is gone. Perfect for “Gears” veterans and new recruits alike, Team Deathmatch has everyone battling to be the last squad standing.
• Free-For-All: Free-For-All is an “every player for themselves” Deathmatch mode. No teams mean shoot anything that moves.  The perfect mode for relieving some stress.
• Domination: Domination is a 5v5 team based competitive multiplayer mode.  Teams will compete over three rings placed throughout the map.  Control the ring to earn points; the first team to 250 points wins the match. 

Not only are there new grenades for any situation you might encounter online, but Epic also confirmed that players will have the ability to toss grenades without a windup – including specifically for quick, close-quarter encounters. Adding to the expansive war chest of returning weapons and grenade types, below are six new additions to the Gears arsenal:

• Sticky Grenades: Like Frag Grenades, these cause lethal damage to opponents, except they stick to targets before detonation.
• Beacon Grenades: The Beacon is a tactical grenade most commonly used by COG Scouts.  It electronically marks all enemy targets in its blast radius, and reveals their position for a short time, even though walls and other obstacles of any thickness.
• Stim Grenades: The Stim is an extremely useful tool for Medics and those wishing to play a support role in combat.  When detonated, it emits a cloud of medicinal gas that will instantly heal all friendly targets within its radius.
• Markza: Before the Locust invaded Sera, the people of the COG had spent decades at war with the Union of Independent Republics, and the Markza is one of the UIR’s most infamous weapons.  This semi-automatic rifle is perfect for medium range combat, with a deep clip and an attached scope that extends its effective range and ensures greater accuracy at distance.
• Breechshot: The Locust are more than just a brute force, and the Breechshot is a shining example of their ingenuity and tactics: the base of the gun is a confiscated UIR Markza that has been converted to inflict massive amounts of damage.  The barrel has a larger bore to support a higher-caliber projectile, and the stock has been retrofitted with a vicious blade making this versatile weapon perfect for short to medium range combat.
• Booshka: The Booshka is a devastating grenade launcher of UIR design.  It is capable of lobbing smart shells that detonate on direct impact with an enemy, or bounce off walls and other obstacles to detonate off a brief timer.

Rewards

With Gears of War: Judgment, your multiplayer career is always in your control; the better you play, the bigger the payoff. With Prizeboxes, players can earn XP bonuses and exclusive unlocks like weapon and armor skins to get a leg up on the competition.

Gears of War: Judgment has leaked online. The shooter prequel has appeared online a month before its March release, with Microsoft saying it is investigating the incident.

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