Gears of War: Judgment Call to Arms DLC out next week

Gears of War: Judgment will add the Call to Arms expansion next week, Microsoft and Epic Games announced today. The game's second expansion, which adds three new multiplayer maps and a new game mode, will be available April 23 for VIP Season Pass holders and April 30 worldwide.

The content will be available as a free download for those who hold a VIP Season Pass and will sell for 1,000 Microsoft Points ($12.50) as an individual download. Season Pass holders also receive permanent multiplayer double XP.

New maps included with the Call to Arms DLC for Gears of War: Judgment are Terminal, Blood Drive, and Boneyard. According to Microsoft, they are set against the backdrop of the Locust invasion of Halvo Bay and include a mix of close quarters and vertical combat.

The Call to Arms DLC also introduces a new game mode called Master At Arms, a free-for-all gametype that challenges players with getting kills with each of the 20 different weapons without using melee techniques or grenades. Every kill will automatically advance players to the next available weapon until they have used each and become the "master at arms."

The Call to Arms DLC also packs in 10 new achievements worth a total of 250 Gamerscore.

The content follows last month's Maxim-sponsored expansion, which saw a new map (Haven) and game mode (Execution) added to Gears of War: Judgment for free thanks to its partnership with the men's magazine.