Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is now available on Xbox One and contains every multiplayer map released for the original Gears of War plus all of the maps that were exclusive to the PC version of the game. That’s 20 maps in total – enough to keep multiplayer fanatics busy with lots of variety and plenty of nostalgia – but if The Coalition wants to support the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition multiplayer community – at least until Gears 4 (please change the name, The Coalition) is released sometime next year – they’re going to need to release some more maps for players to dig into.
The Gears of War multiplayer community is no stranger to seeing popular maps brought back in subsequent releases. It first happened with the Flashback Map Back in Gears of War 2, which contained five popular maps from the original Gears of War (Gridlock, Subway, Mansion, Tyro Stantion, and Canals), and Epic Games continued the trend in subsequent Gears of War sequels.
So, we’ve compiled a list (in no particular order) of some of our favorite multiplayer maps from Gears of War sequels that don’t currently appear in Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. This isn’t to say we think these are the best maps, but they’re all unique in their own right and seeing at least a few of these in 1080p resolution, running at 60 frames per second, would be a welcome treat.
Avalanche
Avalanche is a snow-themed multiplayer map that was introduced in Gears of War 2. The theme might fool historical revisionists into thinking it was a part of the Snowblind Map Pack for Gears of War 2, but this map was there right from the launch of Gears of War 2. The aesthetic is also a welcome sight for eyes that are used to very dark and bleak color palettes in Gears of War. Plus, there’s an avalanche that occurs every so often, killing anyone caught in its path and changing the dynamic of the map, elevating the mid-section of the map to be level with the spawn locations. Competitive players will contest this, but timed events in multiplayer maps can add some variety to match.
Day One
Day One is a fan-favorite map, especially among fans of Horde mode due to it containing a Boom Shield that can be deployed for cover and elevated platforms with power weapons like the Longshot sniper rifle and the Torque Bow. Enemies can be funneled through the staircase on this platforms, too. However, Horde mode isn’t an option in Ultimate Edition as it was introduced in Gears of War 2. The same Boom Shield and elevated platforms strategy still applies to competitive multiplayer, but you’ll also be contending with players directly opposite when perched upstairs. Having to micromanage being attacked by enemies coming up the stairs and being shot at by power weapons across the middle of the map makes for some nerve-wracking moments, but that’s what multiplayer is all about, isn’t it?
Also, there’s an arcade.
Jacinto
Jacinto was introduced in Gears of War 2 and also appeared in Gears of War 3 via the Forces of Nature Map Pack. Many players enjoy Jacinto for its long mid-section, which has three points at which power weapons can spawn. The inclusion of three power weapons in the middle of the map, creates enough choice for players to equally disperse themselves across the map. In most cases, one team will end up controlling one end of the mid-section, while the other team controls the other. The benefit of controlling the area in the middle that is closest to the spawn locations is that it contains two power weapons realistically. Just don’t let that trick you into thinking you’ve already won…
Thrashball
As the title suggests, Thrashball (see: future version of American football) is a sporting arena with tons of waist-high cover (because Gears) and a very large electronic scoreboard that can be shot down after a certain amount of time has passed in the match. It also contains locker rooms as spawn points, dugouts for both Thrashball teams, and rumor has it Cole Train’s rap can be heard after a team scores 100 kills in a single round.
Checkout
Checkout is a small map that takes place, aptly, in a super market grocery store. It was introduced in Gears of War 3 and was later brought to Gears of War: Judgment in the Lost Relics Map Pack. Given the post-apocalyptic setting of Gears of War, Checkout has a feeling reminiscent of other apocalyptic fiction such as Dawn of the Dead and The Mist, both of which primarily took place inside retail stores. This map also has two Easter eggs: two fire alarms that can be pulled to drown out the sound of other players once a match, making sneaking up on someone a lot easier, and a fire extinguisher that does no damage, but can be used to execute a downed enemy.
