First Halo: Reach map pack revealed

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 14 October, 2010

Three new maps and new Achievements.

Halo: Reach's first map pack will be released on 30th November, Bungie's announced.

The Noble Map Pack includes three new maps: Tempest, Anchor 9 and Breakpoint. Pics are below.

New Achievements and a total of 250 Gamerscore are up for grabs. It'll cost 800 Microsoft Points (£6.85 / €9.60).

"Our DLC team has been hard at work these last few months, cloistered together in the heart of the studio preparing three new multiplayer maps for your Halo: Reach multiplayer pleasure," community man Eric Osborne wrote on Bungie.net.

"Though they're still putting the finishing touches on what we've now dubbed the Noble Map Pack as we speak, we've been itching like crazy to show off the trio of maps for quite some time now. Today, you get your first good look."

In Anchor 9 orbital dockyards provide rapid refuelling and repairs for a variety of UNSC vessels. "Within the confines of this low orbit dry-dock, UNSC craft undergo rapid repair and rearmament in support of the enduring war effort. But for the small squads of infantry who now fight over the mirrored interior hallways and open central hangar bay, this platform no longer provides any safe harbor whatsoever – whether the close quarters combat is occurring inside or out of its artificial gravitational field." It's for two to eight players in game variants including Free for All, Team Slayer and Team Objective.

Tempest, on the other hand, is an abandoned shoreline facility that "bends both sea and sky to an unnatural purpose, but the ground itself has quickly become another all too familiar battlefield. Though the two opposing symmetrical bases may never reveal their ancient purpose, both now offer makeshift shelter and access to strategic routes perfectly suited for small and large scale skirmishes alike".

Tempest supports eight to sixteen players and offers modes including Free for All, Team Slayer, Team Objective and Big Team Battle. It also provides players with a huge Forge palette, allowing them to create new custom map variants.

And finally, Breakpoint. "Atop this icy precipice, the Invasion continues. These modular archaeological labs were never intended to withstand such a large scale onslaught of Covenant military power, but the information being extracted here may prove vital to humanity's survival. In response to the imminent Covenant threat, UNSC ground and air assets have been deployed to bolster entrenched Spartan countermeasures. This site must yield salvation, or it will become a grave."

Breakpoint offers multiplayer for 8-16 players and supports the Invasion and Big Team Battle game variants.

Meanwhile, Bungie announced the start of its official Forgetacular Contest, which begins now.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (42) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • cianchristopher #1 2 years ago

    Hmmm, 800 is not too bad (better than the 1,200 req'd for Modern Warfare 2) - but 3 maps isn't really that much is it?

    Were the Halo 3 map packs bigger/better value? (I know they were 800 points, how many maps did they normally have?)

  • tachometer #2 2 years ago

    Will this just be an unlock code for material already on the disc?
    hope not

  • Yossarian #3 2 years ago

    No, it will not be an unlock code.

  • Yossarian #4 2 years ago

    And 3 maps for 800 points was the standard for Halo 3 maps, though I think they were later discounted in XBL promotions.

  • waggy79 #5 2 years ago

    For the amount im playing Reach, i suppose i could justify this. Im not particularly bored with the current maps yet though so im on the fence.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #6 2 years ago

    Yeah, I've got all the Halo 2 and 3 maps but just waited till they were made free (well the H3 ones came bundled with ODST). Don't play the multiplayer enough to justify the cost. Wish they'd do some SP DLC but that's just me being a whingey get.

  • miiiguel #7 2 years ago

    Too soon. Still doing me solo Legendary.

  • ZizouFC #8 2 years ago

    Forgetacular Contest?

  • roquey Verified Lead Quality Assurance Tester and Compliance Specialist, Universally Speaking #9 2 years ago

    Unless theres gonna be special challenges within the new DLC dunno if ill buy it.

  • coolbritannia #10 2 years ago

    Too soon IMO. And I bloody love Reach. I suppose the actual release is 6 weeks away though.

    Oh, negged, how novel.
    Edited by coolbritannia at 14/10/10 @ 15:22

  • Eraysor #11 2 years ago

    I'm not usually the type to purchase maps, but damn they look pretty...

  • muscleblade #12 2 years ago

    @miiiguel

    Completing Reach on legendary solo took me three evenings so you should finish it long before the dlc comes out if you spend as much time with your xbox 360 that you used to.

    I think its too soon since i will be playing games like Vanquish and The force Unleashed 2 at the time.

  • swissorc #13 2 years ago

    Community split. Pity, I will not pay for map packs and don't like being punished for it. It's daft and makes me think twice about buying affected games.

  • Ryze #14 2 years ago

    They're not wasting any time these days, are they!??

  • Ror1984 #15 2 years ago

    I've never actually bought any map packs before, so I guess this will be my first one. The Tempest screens made me think of Avalanche. I don't know if it's anything like it, but I do hope it is. I loved that map on Halo 3.
    Edited by Ror1984 at 14/10/10 @ 15:02

  • gav082 #16 2 years ago

    getting this, the game didnt come with enough maps.

  • rojjer #17 2 years ago

    Whoa... 800 points for 3 maps? Gonna do the wise thing, get COD: Black Ops when it comes out next month and wait for these DLC map packs to be reduced or bundled with another map pack later down the line. 800 points, tut-tut

  • ubergine #18 2 years ago

    Oh right - "Forge-Tacular"... not "Forget-tacur".

  • Derblington #19 2 years ago

    It's not too soon, they have people that research optimal launch windows for this stuff.

  • Yossarian #20 2 years ago

    It's not soon enough for people like me, especially as the default map selection is pretty disappointing.

  • CaptainQuint #21 2 years ago

    Day one, for me.

  • RedSparrows #22 2 years ago

    Those are some sexy looking maps, and just what I wanted: 2 bigger, 1 medium, and more Forge options.

  • Cronan #23 2 years ago

    Bungie have always been pretty good about not splitting the community. The new maps go into their own hopper for match-making, and the community is big enough that people without the maps won't have any trouble getting games.

    And what's with the negs on people saying "I like these, day one for me?".
    Edited by Cronan at 14/10/10 @ 15:36

  • darkmorgado #24 2 years ago

    Whoa... 800 points for 3 maps? Gonna do the wise thing, get COD: Black Ops when it comes out next month and wait for these DLC map packs to be reduced or bundled with another map pack later down the line. 800 points, tut-tut

    Hang on, you're saying 800 for 3 maps is too much, so you are going to buy a game destined to receive map packs for 1600 points, where some of the maps will just be remakes/ports?

  • miiiguel #25 2 years ago

    @muscleblade : Courting phase. 360 time taking a serious hit :)

  • EffEmmGee #26 2 years ago

    "Meanwhile, Bungie announced the start of its official Forgetacular Contest, which begins now."

    Dear Eurogamer,

    I was very interested in the above quoted section of your article but you failed to mention something very important about the Rules for said contest:

    "Each Entrant must be an individual who is a legal resident of the United States and at least 17 years of age"

    Am I right in assuming that the majority of Eurogamer readers are actually from Europe? Which if I am correct is not in the United States?

    By all means report on these things but make it very clear that it doesn't apply to us readers in Europe and the UK?

  • rossmof #27 2 years ago

    I'm still hoping that they start using some of the current maps for other purposes. I mean, half of the current maps are Firefight only - why not open these up for competitive multiplayer?

  • rojjer #28 2 years ago

    @darkmorgado

    If I baulk (common sense bit coming up - prepare yourself) at spending 800 points on a map pack, will this make me more or less likely to part with 1600 points on map packs which will (as you rightly pointed out) most likely be based on previously released maps? If you answered less likely - you're correct! You pass the common sense test. If you answered more likely, then you're likely fishing for some troll bait and looking to bash on a game. No troll bait here though so, move along please :-)
    Edited by rojjer at 14/10/10 @ 15:53

  • Yossarian #29 2 years ago

    There are several pretty decent Lockout remakes in Forge World.

  • Negotiator #30 2 years ago

    Love the game, haven't played it much recently because of Enslaved and that MMA demo, but this map pack is a must buy.

  • Xardan #31 2 years ago

    800 points for 3 multiplayer maps is a bad deal.

  • coolbritannia #32 2 years ago

    @rossmof, me too, custom firefight on every map too please.

  • weejok #33 2 years ago

    Meh... I can wait for these to be Dotw :)

  • Gambit1977 #34 2 years ago

    Kept back to compete with COD? I think so! :D

  • AdamAsunder #35 2 years ago

    I'll get these, it will good to have another invasion map and potentially two new maps for big team slayer. I was kind of hoping that they'd go down the Call of Duty route, especially as they've got a number of different modes to furnish now but I think they were probably aware of the criticism that move got.

    What I am curious about however is: will these go in separate hoppers, a la H3 or will they be filtered into the main playlists, coming up if the whole party has the DLC? I only ask as it will seem a bit silly to have an extra invasion playlist for just the one map.

    This new DLC with the influx of community made maps and the new Forge pieces should go a long way to add variety to the game. I just hope the inherent lag that I've witnessed on a lot of otherwise awesome creations gets ironed out.

    I'm guessing the cap will be raised to go with the new DLC?

  • superstu1337 #36 2 years ago

    I'll just play Black Ops.

    Now give this post a Neg.

    Yea that's right I control YOU.

  • dmt2 #37 2 years ago

    So 3 maps for about the same as a packet of fags. Sounds pretty good to me.

    I'm a bit bored of the maps on Reach but I've played a ridiculous amount.

    On another note legendary is satisfyingly brutal... but in 4 player the Elites DO NOT DIE!

  • BabyJesus #38 2 years ago

    800 is acceptable, I expected MS to gouge us after those COD Map packs selling like crazy at an artificially inflated price.

  • Xardan #39 2 years ago

    Over 2 quid per map is acceptable to you?!

  • BabyJesus #40 2 years ago

    2 quid per map seems(That refreshes many gametypes) fair to me yes.

    I wouldn't argue if it was cheaper or free though...

  • Graham_Bark #41 2 years ago

    These three maps cost the same as 20% of the original game. They will clearly not be equal to 20% of the content. Even going by RRP its still nearly 15%. The price is still far too high for what it is, as is the case with just about every bit of DLC. But its become so common place now that by on large we just accept it. The fact other DLC, particularly Modern Warfare 2's, is more expensive still doesn't automatically mean that any cheaper price is acceptable. The last piece of DLC I bought was Lair of the Shadow Broker, and I felt that was, while incredibly good, a bit overpriced at 800 points. I can't see these three maps even coming close to the amount of content that Lair of the Shadow Broker contained. The problem is that DLC is being priced at 800 points because its DLC (and I assume because of some economic rationalising), not because of the amount of content it contains. I wish people would refuse to buy it until a more reasonable content:price ratio is achieved, but I know that's never realistically going to happen. How I despair.
    Edited by Graham_Bark at 15/10/10 @ 01:26

  • TelexStar #42 2 years ago

    I love Reach and wouldn't mind the 800 points if they also bothered to fix the essentially broken co-op and firefight modes.