The Coalition Highlights Future Plans For 'Gears Of War 4'

Since the launch of Gears of War 4, The Coalition has supplied its fans with new content every month in the form of maps, packs, and updates. This month is no different, as the studio is delivering two new maps and made changes to the matchmaking system. However, it also told fans about some of the other content that's coming in the near future.

Next month marks the end of The Coalition’s drop of new maps and features to the game, but it still plans on supporting existing gameplay in different ways. For instance, it plans to hold monthly events for Versus and Horde modes with exclusive rewards. Speaking of rewards, additional Gear Packs will emerge, which provide new characters and weapon skins. There are also annual special events planned throughout the year, such as the anniversary of the original game’s release (November 7), Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Those who prefer to play in the tougher and more competitive Ranked mode will see skill placement rewards and a second season of gameplay, which starts later this month. In addition, the developers will continue to add new achievements and balance updates to the Versus and Horde modes. If you plan to play the game on the upcoming Xbox One X later this year, you’ll get a software update that adds support for features such as 4K resolution, high dynamic range, and Dolby Atmos.

For September, The Coalition added two more maps to use in Versus and Horde mode. “Mercy” is an old stage from Gears of War 3, but the developers changed the climate in the area so now you can fight enemies in the bright winter morning. Most players already know the “Harbor” map, which is set in a stormy evening, but the “Harbor Haze” level aims to give players an additional challenge. This time around, you’ll fight opponents during the daytime, but a thick layer of fog can roll in during a match. Visibility will be limited, so you need to move carefully if you want to stay alive. Horde fans will also get a new event called “Horde Frenzy,” which seems to involve 25 waves instead of the traditional 50-wave mode.

The studio also changed how the game performs its matchmaking parameters. In the “coming weeks,” the developers will change the system, which only found players in your Region of choice, to a new method that will instead find opponents that have a similar connection quality. In addition, 20 achievements were added, and they specifically target “your first moments with the game.” If you played the game for a few months, you’ll automatically gain these new achievements.

Season Pass holders can try the new maps now through the Developer Playlist menu, and they also double the experience points and a 20% bonus in earned Credits after each match. The rest of the fanbase will have to wait until September 12 to explore the new content.