February 7 marked the release of the new Gears of War 4 update. Fans can expect new maps, Gear Packs, and some gameplay changes to make things more interesting and exciting as we wait for the Valentine’s Day event later this week! A video was released detailing the new maps and changes coming with the update. Check it out:

The first map, “Impact Dark“, is a heavily adjusted version of the map Impact. The new arena is set at night, and embers and smoke reduce visibility, forcing players to bring it in for close quarters combat. Some weapon sets have changed too, switching out snipers for Boltoks, and Dropshot out for the Torque/EMBAR. This is to ensure that support players can still have some fun in low visibility play.

The result is a new version of Impact that plays completely differently to its original brethren. The combination of close range weapon swaps and reduced visibility ups the pace for a more intense version of Impact, where players need to stay on their toes to win. Support players will need to take bigger risks to impact fights and reduced visibility will make reading the battlefield tougher for even the most competitive teams.”

The second addition is making a return from the original Gears of War, but with some interesting changes. “War Machine” is now a new COG settlement. Compared to it’s abandoned looking roots, it is now clean, shiny, and ready for action. In contrast to the original map, this area is still lively with active consoles, shops, and a train waiting to leave the station. Both maps will leave plenty to do while we wait for the Valentine’s Day event!

Players with season passes can access the maps and play now! Both maps support Team Deathmatch, Guardian, and King of the Hill game modes, along with double XP and a 20 percent credit bonus. Players without a season pass can expect the maps to release at a later date.

Changes have come for the gameplay as well. The February update brought a new feature called “leader spawns”. This adds a new element of strategy to the game as players will spawn near their leaders. Of course, this will put leaders in the position of ensuring they are in areas that benefit the team, while players will be able to come to the aid of their leader after death. It will certainly make things interesting for the new maps and the Valentine’s Day event!

Speaking of which, the Gears of War 4 Valentine’s Day event kicks off February 10th! New Gear Packs will be available for players with themed bounties for Valentine’s Day. Also returning, with a twist of Cupid, will be Torque Bow Tag! More details on the event are coming soon so stay tuned!

Beyond the February update hype and the Valentine’s Day event, Microsoft also revealed information regarding future updates. Plans for the March Update will include a pre-game lobby for Competitive and Core playlists. At least one more legacy character will be available in March as well, and the company is continuing to listen to feedback so they can make changes as needed.

This summer will also see additional changes including more skills for classes in existence, new achievements, Level 6 skills for all classes, a new IronMan Mode (hopefully playable on War Machine), and a new difficulty called “Inconceivable”. We’ll have to wait and see if that word means what they think it means, but until then, we’ll have plenty to keep us busy! Those interested in seeing everything that came with the February update can check it out here!

Are you guys looking forward to the Valentine’s Day event? What are your thoughts on the new maps? Sound off in the comments section below! As always, be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter so you don’t miss out on what’s next!