Gears of War Season Pass

For the hardcore fans of the Gears of War series, make sure your debit card is limbered up and ready to put some work in on September 20. Assuming you haven’t already dropped the cash and pre-ordered Gears of War 3, you are looking at a minimum purchase of $59.99 for the standard retail game. If you have your eye on the Limited Edition, plan on spending $79.99, and if you are slightly obsessed with the franchise and want the Epic Edition, be prepared to shell out $149.99.

But wait, as the TV pitchman might say, there’s more!

For the low low price of 2400 Microsoft Points ($30), you can purchase the Gears of War 3 Season Pass and receive four upcoming add-ons, a 33-percent saving over purchasing them individually. Included with the purchase will be the Liquid Metal Weapon Set as well.

The Pass will be available to purchase on September 20, and the first DLC has been announced for November with the remaining three planned over the course of a year. Details on the add-ons are still scarce, but you can likely expect a handful of new multiplayer maps, and probably a new weapon set or two.

The Season Pass idea seems to be catching on, and Gears 3 won’t be the last to offer something like it. Rockstar released a similar pass to grant purchasers all the L.A. Noire add-ons, EA Sports is offering a Season Pass for all its titles and Call of Duty will include expansion maps as part of the Call of Duty XP fee, to name a few. Expect to see this trend of a one-time fee for DLC continue.

Gears of War 3 hits shelves as an Xbox 360 exclusive on September 20.