'Halo 4' War Games Map Pass Delivers 9 Maps Over 6 Months

Halo 4′s co-op focused Spartan Ops mode promises to keep fans playing long after they’ve completed the game’s campaign, and the 50 Spartan Ops missions – the first five of which will be made available on Halo 4′s November 6th launch date – don’t cost a penny extra. That doesn’t mean there won’t be paid DLC for Halo 4. There most certainly will, specifically for the game’s competitive Infinity Multiplayer mode.

Three map packs have been confirmed for release, which leads right to the announcement of the Halo 4 War Games Map Pass. Priced at $24.99 (2000 Microsoft Points), the Map Pass grants access to all three packs, and costs 15% less than buying the DLC a la carte. The War Games Map Pass is also available as part of the $99 Halo 4 Limited Edition.

Halo 4′s release date is now less than two weeks away, and Microsoft has been building up to the big day with weekly episodes of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (parts 1, 2 and 3 have been released so far), a David Fincher produced live-action commercial, and the game’s launch trailer (which just hit this morning). Set up is important, but so is follow through, and the three Halo 4 map packs will help carry the game through next April.

Check out the full details below, complete with concept art, straight from Microsoft.

Crimson Map Pack (December release timeframe)

Maps: Wreckage, Harvest, Shatter

Description: Witness the chaos of a clash of civilizations in Wreckage, with its blend of claustrophobic spaces and dangerous exposures and venture into the human colony environs of Harvest, and explore a human foray on an alien moon in Shatter.

Majestic Map Pack (February release timeframe)

Maps: Landfall, Monolith, Skyline

Description: Landfall’s emphasis is on infantry battles against a glittering ocean on a distant world, while Monolith exposes you to the naked vacuum of space – and the firepower of opposing teams, and Skyline’s distinctly industrial feel provides new challenges in somewhat familiar, but occasionally confined spaces.

Castle Map Pack (April release timeframe)

Maps: Daybreak, Outcast, Perdition

Description: Daybreak is set in a military facility against the backdrop of an idyllic mountain range, while Outcast plunges you into the warrens, canyons and arches of an alien edifice, and Perdition takes players into the heart of an urban sprawl, with tactical speed and situational awareness its key features.

In addition to the nine maps, players who invest in the Halo 4 War Games Map Pass will score a pair of “unique in-game helmets,” Scanner and Strider, as well as an “exclusive in-game emblem” dubbed Falcon.

So many games ask players to fork out extra dough for a season pass these days, and not all of them truly deliver where long-term play is concerned. That doesn’t look like it’s going to be a problem for 343 Industries‘ first Halo outing. Spartan Ops alone is said to be larger than Halo 3: ODST, and that’s on top of Halo 4′s campaign. Add in Infinity Multiplayer, and this is one game that players could conceivably spend months and months with.

Given all that, do you think the War Games Map Pass is worth the money? How long do you think you’ll be playing Halo 4? Let us know in the comments below.