Gears of War 3 getting ‘Fenix Rising’ DLC early next year


Epic Games announced today that on January 17, 2012, Gears of War 3 will be receiving its third round of DLC since its release back in September.

Dubbed “Fenix Rising”, the DLC will give players five new maps and four new character skins. Additionally, the DLC will introduce a new “Re-up” system, which is more or less exactly what prestiging in Call of Duty is like: you hit max level, and you start all over again.

Like Call of Duty‘s system, you’re given rewards every time you prestige – but with Gears of War 3‘s system, you’re only allowed to Re-up a maximum of three times. Each time you Re-up, you’ll be awarded an exclusive Re-up skin, including:

  • Re-Up Plasma – Animated flowing plasma in gold.
  • Re-Up Omen – Shiny, red Omen.
  • Re-Up Electric – Animated, golden electric shocks.

Last but certainly not least are the Fenix Rising maps. As previously mentioned, the DLC adds in five new maps available across Horde mode, Beast mode and, of course, Versus multiplayer. Here’s the lowdown on each of the five new maps, courtesy of Epic:

  • Academy –The lineage of the Fenix family can be traced back along a distinguished line of military officers. Officer training at the Oracle Academy was simply the expected path for Marcus, and he had visited the grounds many times in expectation that he would walk the same path as his ancestors. But it was not to be, and Marcus broke with tradition to be with his best friends Dom and Carlos. Like any number of fine Seran traditions, the Academy is now lost to the invasion of the Locust Horde.
  • Anvil – The fortress of Anvegad was called Anvil Gate because its impenetrable walls were forged in the fires of war. Huge cannons sat atop battlements that guarded sprawling walls running the line of the UIR borders. Marcus went there to find Hoffman, and they both thought that Anvil Gate would offer protection from the incoming forces of Locust and Lambent. They were wrong, and little remains other than the ruined shell of a once mighty fortress.
  • Depths – The excessive opulence of Azura defied all normal reasoning. But Adam Fenix could see the cracks in the veneer of splendor from the moment he arrived at this underwater processing center. And all that beauty mattered not at all once he was held captive by the Locust. Out of options, he had to find a way to contact Marcus, and finally reveal the truths he’d been keeping to himself for all these many years.
  • Escalation – Haldane Hall has been the home of the Fenix family for countless generations. But the only history that matters to Marcus’s are his memories of warm summer evenings spent with his mother, Elain, relaxing in the estate’s gardens. Sadly, all the estate’s history and beauty was lost when the Locust destroyed it in an attempt to kidnap his father.
  • The Slab – Convicted for insubordination and treason, Marcus was incarcerated in Jacinto Maximum Security Prison. Known as “The Slab”, this prison is not a correctional facility – it’s a place where Sera’s worst offenders are locked up and forgotten. The inmates are brutal, parole is not an option, and the average life expectancy is about two years. But that was before the Locust showed up, and what couldn’t get worse, suddenly did. Now your life expectancy there is around 2 minutes.

The “Fenix Rising” DLC will set you back 800 Microsoft Points when it releases on January 17, 2012.

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