With the Halo 4 Castle Map Pack now available, Microsoft is celebrating its bestselling franchise with a week of specials.
Microsoft and 343 Industries have initiated Halo Week: Drop Shock, a concentrated supply of new Halo 4 content, giveaway opportunities, promotional pricing, DLC sales, and availability of Volume 2 of the original soundtrack. Whether you’re a seasoned Spartan or a War Games newcomer, the maps, music, and promotions of Halo Week: Drop Shock will equip you with the tools and toys to keep you and your friends geared up for battle. An overview of the full lineup of content fans can look forward to during the 5 days of Halo Week: Drop Shock is below:
Monday, April 8 – Castle Map Pack launches on Xbox LIVE
Kicking off the week of Spartan festivities, the Castle Map Pack is launching worldwide on Monday, April 8. Developed by Certain Affinity in collaboration with 343 Industries, the Castle Map Pack brings players three medium-to-large, maps that emphasize vehicular combat and large battles over stunning open spaces, where team strategy is the key to successfully conquering the battlefield.
Alongside the release of the Castle Map Pack, 343 Industries will introduce Competitive Skill Rank (CSR), a new 1-50 level ranking system which measures your performance in War Games, intelligently matches you against opponents of comparable skill, and displays your rank on your Halo Waypoint player profile. Starting April 8 at 2:00 a.m. PST and ending April 22 at 2:00 a.m. PST, play the Castle Team DLC playlist and reach CSR level 35 or higher at any point on or between dates above, and receive an exclusive Avatar tee.
Additionally, for fans that have not yet picked up a copy of Halo 4, the U.S. retail price will drop to a promotional estimated retail price of $40 on Monday. Moreover, for the first time, the full campaign of Halo 3: ODST Campaign Edition will be available as a standalone digital download on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for $15 USD. For content details, including official rules, visit Halo Waypoint.