We got some exciting news today from the house of M in the form of brand-new content for megahit Gears of War. Without question, the best bit is the new multiplayer mode Annex, which takes a drastically different approach to the bullet-ridden bloodfest that is Gears' online game. A point-based capture and hold kind of mode, Annex will require teams to occupy from one to five different locations on a map and defend them to earn points towards ultimate victory. Each position will provide 60 points with only one being active at a time, so once a position has given up all 60 of its points to either team you'll have to hotfoot it to the next one. Given Gears of War's delightful penchant for splattery chainsaw battles in close-quarters combat, Annex should bring this already gruesome game to all new heights of depravity.


There are a few other tweaks coming in the update as well, outlined below from Microsoft's press release:

VGA Cable Support: Monitor resolution widths greater than or equal to 1280 now render as letterbox. In particular VGA users running at 1280x1024 will now see the game in full 720p (1280x720) resolution in letterboxed form.
Adjusted Assassination Multiplayer Gametype: Leader no longer has to unlock weapons and now has to be executed to die.
Adjusted Boomshot: Splash damage to be more effective rendering targets down-but-not-out.
Adjusted Hammer of Dawn: Aiming will be more forgiving of moving targets.
Adjusted Roadie Run: Reduced frequency of accidentally grabbing cover while running.
Kill Message Ticker: Ticker can now be seen while down-but-not-out and spectating.
General: Addressed a number of possible exploits in multiplayer.