Map Description:

In the months immediately following Emergence Day, the COG managed to capture some Locust Berserkers. Thinking that a ship at sea would be safe from an underground enemy, the COG decided to transport their prize to a secure research facility via the CNV Pomeroy. Little did they know that the Locust had waterborne beasts from the underground rivers of the Hollow, or that the Locust soldiers would use them so relentlessly to rescue the captured Berserkers. The Pomeroy was corralled into a narrow channel and forced ashore, where the Locust sent a mass of troops to assault and overwhelm the beached vessel.

After Dreadnought is released on May 15th, the next scheduled content coming to the game will be the Haven DLC pack in April.

Via Epic Games.

Speaking at the Game Horizon conference today, Rein said:

The next-gen consoles are going to be fully embracing the free-to-play and these IAP-type business models. So in case you don’t know that I’m putting that out there. Sony and Microsoft are both going heavily in that area.

When pressed on the matter, with Sony and Microsoft giving little examples of how they’ve embraced the model, Rein added:

Well, I’m telling you. I’m telling you what they’re telling developers.

I guess we’ll learn more at E3. Thanks JoyStiq.

When we announced that I wanted to transition out of my leadership role at Epic, the plan was for a continued but less active role, service on the board of directors, and ideally, being that eccentric semi-retired guy who still comes to playtests and gold parties. I’m sad to say that plans have changed, and as of February 11th, I’m no longer affiliated with Epic Games. (I thought it best for Epic’s staff to hear it first, and the announcement was made today, so now I’m sharing this more widely.)

I have many wonderful memories of my time at Epic, and I wish my friends there all the best in their future projects.

So what’s next for me? Games have been so good to me, and I’m delighted to have the time to give back. I’m a member of several game industry boards, and I’m proud to serve as an advocate for our art in Washington. I’m considering seats on a few company and advisory boards, as well as options for teaching at one of the world-class universities in the North Carolina Triangle area. And mostly, I’m focused on being a new dad in a few short weeks. Time is flying by, and I’ve still got a dozen games I want to play before the UnSleep begins!

Via Facebook.

“We wanted to do something that added context to the game, so you had that beginning part, but then this ties everything together with the main trilogy as well,” lead level designer Jim Brown told told OXM. “So you’ll see when you go in there some people you recognise, some places, maybe even some enemies and then see how the two storylines weave together in the context of the whole franchise.

Obviously we don’t want to give away too many spoilers in how it’s going to end or what you’re going to see,” he added, “But the basic gist of it is that when they’re at the fort, Marcus sends Barrett and Cole off to find supplies and reinforcements, and then he goes off to Azura. Then at the very end they show up with helicopters. This is where they went and what they did on that mission.”

Video Thirst: Aftermath Trailer

Screenshots:

 

 

 

 Gears of War: Judgement sees a release March 19th exclusively on Xbox 360.

Beware, major Spoilers beyond this point, turn back now if you wish not to be spoiled!

They Called Him Karn (10 points)
Completed Museum Of Military Glory

Open Arms (10 points)
Completed Halvo Bay Military Academy

The Real Thing (10 points)
Completed Seahorse Hills

Take Back This City (10 points)
Completed Onyx Point

I Told You (10 points)
Completed Downtown Halvo Bay

This One’s Not Over (10 points)
Completed Courthouse

Friends (10 points)
Completed Aftermath

Determined (10 points)
Completed all Campaign Chapters on at least Casual difficulty

Steel Nerves (10 points)
Completed all Campaign Chapters on at least Normal difficulty

Iron Fist (25 points)
Completed all Campaign Chapters on at least Hardcore difficulty

Lion Heart (50 points)
Completed all Campaign Chapters on Insane difficulty

Party People (10 points)
Played any section in 4 player Co-Op

Blood Brothers (50 points)
Completed all Campaign Chapters in Co-op

Challenge Accepted (5 points)
Completed your first Declassified mission

Never Give Up (10 points)
Completed at least 20 Declassified missions

Quality Soldiering (50 points)
Completed all Declassified missions

A Peek into the Future (10 points)
Watched Aftermath teaser

The Aftermath (20 points)
Unlocked Aftermath

Rising Star (10 points)
Attained 50 Stars on at least Casual Difficulty

Shooting Star (20 points)
Attained 75 Stars on at least Normal Difficulty

Star Struck (50 points)
Attained 100 Stars on at least Hardcore Difficulty

Superstar (50 points)
Attained all Stars on Insane Difficulty

Never Forgotten (10 points)
Recovered 10 COG Tags during the Campaign

Remembrance (10 points)
Recovered 25 COG Tags during the Campaign

Respect for the Fallen (20 points)
Recovered all 48 COG Tags during the Campaign

Ribbon Master (10 points)
Earned 3 unique Ribbons in any section

Proud Wearer (5 points)
Equipped your first Medal

Ready for War (20 points)
Earned at least one Onyx medal

Sybarite (50 points)
Earned the Onyx “War Supporter” medal

Seriously Judgmental (75 points)
Completed all Declassified Missions on Insane difficulty

Level 5 (5 points)
Reached level 5

Level 10 (10 points)
Reached level 10

Level 20 (10 points)
Reached level 20

Level 30 (15 points)
Reached level 30

Level 40 (25 points)
Reached level 40

Level 50 (25 points)
Reached level 50

Let’s Do This (50 points)
Achieved level 50 and chose to re-up for another tour of duty

Fearless (50 points)
Achieved level 50 a second time and chose to re-up for another tour

Unstoppable (50 points)
Achieved level 50 a third time and chose to re-up for another tour

[rip] to Locust (10 points)
Killed with all classes of COG in Overrun or Survival

[rip] to the COG (10 points)
Killed with all classes of Locust in Overrun

Survivor (10 points)
Completed wave 10 on all maps in Survival mode

Globe Trotter (10 points)
Won a match on every map in all Versus modes

Jack of All Trades (10 points)
Won 10 matches of Overrun

Team Leader (10 points)
Won 10 rounds of Team [rip]match

All Rounder (10 points)
Won one match in Free For All, Team [rip]match, and Domination

Roaming Free (10 points)
Won one match on every map in Free For All

Team On Tour (10 points)
Won one match on every map in Team [rip]match

Overran (10 points)
Won one match on every map in Overrun

Dominator (10 points)
Won one match on every map in Domination

Gears of War: Judgment releases March 19th on the Xbox 360.

Grab the full lot at AGB.

Gears of War: Judgement sees a release March 19th, 2013 exclusive on Xbox 360.

Mike Capps, Epic Games President is retiring from the company, a move that follows the departure of production director Rod Fergusson, who joined BioShock house Irrational Games, and Gears of War lead Cliff Bleszinski. It’s important to mention that all these guys left after a major investment in Epic Games by a Chinese firm, so they could also be cashing out early, as they had ownership stakes in Epic Games.

Here’s Capps’ full message to fans:

It’s hard to believe I’m writing these words, but here goes! After 10 crazy and wonderful years, I’m handing off my current presidential duties at Epic, and transitioning into an advisory role as well as remaining on the Epic board of directors.

If you haven’t heard, I have a baby boy on the way. I’m fortunate that with Epic’s success and generosity, I can be a stay at home dad for a while. My wife Julianne and I are very happy in Raleigh, and other than cleaning up baby barf, I don’t have much planned. I might do some teaching, spend more time on creative writing, and maybe get more active with a few charities.

After dedicating a decade of my life to Epic, and with so many close friends here, it’s impossible to just walk away. I absolutely love this company. If you cut me, I think I probably bleed nanoblack and Imulsion. (Wow, just think about what mixing those would do…) Epic founder and CEO Tim Sweeney and other board members asked me to stay on the board, and I’m thrilled to do so as I’m truly excited about our future games and Unreal Engine 4.

As I mentioned above, I’ll continue to be available as a resource to Epic, to provide context or advice where I can. Whatever I can do to help in Epic’s success, I’m in! I’ve got great confidence in our executive team – VP of Development Paul Meegan is new to our Raleigh HQ, but we’ve worked with him for years, and I can only contemplate this retirement knowing that he and VP of Operations John Farnsworth can manage development better than I ever did.

Our partners and customers can reach me anytime on my Epic email address, and I’ll still be posting the occasional foodie and gamer musings on @epicactual. As a member of the board, I’ll help keep the ship pointed directly towards Na Pali, and make sure that everything we do is Epic.

Epic Games announced today an agreement with Square Enix granting the publisher a group-wide license to develop multiple games with Epic’s award-winning Unreal Engine 3 and its new Unreal Engine 4 technology.

Epic Games Japan, which is providing local support, worked directly with Square Enix on the new license. This sweeping agreement will supplement Square Enix’s proprietary software and ensure the studio is armed with “the most powerful game development tools and technologies available across all major platforms,” the press release reads.

“Epic has a strong relationship with Square Enix, and it’s an honor to provide their creative and technical talent with the best game technology available for licensing,” said Taka Kawasaki, territory manager of Epic Games Japan. “We look forward to supporting their developers with world-class tools for years to come.”

Epic Games also unveiled two new maps, Library and Gondola, which will be showcased in PAX Prime in the coming days. Free-for-all is the second new multiplayer mode for the Gears of War franchise that’s introduced in Judgment, the other being OverRun, a mixture of Gears of War 3′s Horde and Beast modes, pitting players from both sides against each other in class-based combat.

Gears of War: Judgment will focus on Damon Baird and Augustus Cole, although we have no more story details. It will not use Kinect, and it’s also the first game in the franchise to use a subtitle instead of a number, since Gears of War: Exile was scrapped. It is being developed by Epic Games, along with People Can Fly, the studio behind Bulletstorm that Epic recently purchased.

The studio’s logo is as follows:

Big Huge Games was in turn a subsidiary of 38 Studios, which was recently shut down because of debts and failing to repay a loan from the state of Rhode Island. At that time, Mike Capps, from Epic Games, said that his company was looking to help those affected by the closure, forming a new studio to house them. Sean Dunn, Big Huge Games’ general manager, is now working as the studio director at Impossible.

Infinity Blade: Dungeons is Epic’s first in-house mobile game, developed in collaboration with Epic, Chair Entertainment and Impossible Studios, and is scheduled to launch later this year.

That’s according to Epic Games president Mike Capps, who made known the news via twitter.

“Do I detect People Can Fly involvement? YES YES YES!” Capps tweeted, in response to a question directed at Bulletstorm creative director Adrian Chmielarz.

“I detect Epic PR team’s heart attack,” Chmielarz said wittily. That message was then deleted.

The magazine said it’ll prepare two issues of its magazine for the reveal, but will wait until Microsoft’s press conference on Monday before it unleashes more details. A trailer will be shown at the presser, too.

Gears of War 3 ended the series’ trilogy, so this is something new altogether. Monday can’t come soon enough. This weekend, I”ll send live our E3 post detailing how we intend to cover gaming’s biggest event.