Gears of War 3 'Fenix Rising' DLC announced

The next Gears of War 3 downloadable content pack has been announced for release on January 17. "Fenix Rising," as it's wittily named, will bring five new multiplayer maps based upon areas from the campaign, plus new player skins and a way to "prestige," ranking up to level 100 over again to unlock exclusive weapon skins.

Fenix Rising will let you "Re-up" your multiplayer account once you hit level 100, resetting your experience and rank to earn special showing-off player icons, similar to "prestiging" in the Call of Duty games. The three new "Re-up" levels, Red, Green, and Gold, each unlock an exclusive custom weapon skin.

You also get new multiplayer skins Savage Marauder and Recruit Clayton, along with the Savage Kantus and Thrashball Cole skins previously offered as beta and pre-order perks.

Fenix Rising is included with the DLC season pass, but will otherwise cost 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

Here's what Epic has to say about the new maps:

Academy - The lineage of the Fenix family can be traced back along a distinguished line of military officers. Officer training at the Oracle Academy was simply the expected path for Marcus, and he had visited the grounds many times in expectation that he would walk the same path as his ancestors. But it was not to be, and Marcus broke with tradition to be with his best friends Dom and Carlos. Like any number of fine Seran traditions, the Academy is now lost to the invasion of the Locust Horde.

Anvil - The fortress of Anvegad was called Anvil Gate because its impenetrable walls were forged in the fires of war. Huge cannons sat atop battlements that guarded sprawling walls running the line of the UIR borders. Marcus went there to find Hoffman, and they both thought that Anvil Gate would offer protection from the incoming forces of Locust and Lambent. They were wrong, and little remains other than the ruined shell of a once mighty fortress.

Depths - The excessive opulence of Azura defied all normal reasoning. But Adam Fenix could see the cracks in the veneer of splendor from the moment he arrived at this underwater processing center. And all that beauty mattered not at all once he was held captive by the Locust. Out of options, he had to find a way to contact Marcus, and finally reveal the truths he'd been keeping to himself for all these many years.

Escalation - Haldane Hall has been the home of the Fenix family for countless generations. But the only history that matters to Marcus's are his memories of warm summer evenings spent with his mother, Elain, relaxing in the estate's gardens. Sadly, all the estate's history and beauty was lost when the Locust destroyed it in an attempt to kidnap his father.

The Slab - Convicted for insubordination and treason, Marcus was incarcerated in Jacinto Maximum Security Prison. Known as "The Slab", this prison is not a correctional facility - it's a place where Sera's worst offenders are locked up and forgotten. The inmates are brutal, parole is not an option, and the average life expectancy is about two years. But that was before the Locust showed up, and what couldn't get worse, suddenly did. Now your life expectancy there is around 2 minutes.

Fenix Rising map 'Academy'