Gears of War 3 gets free DLC, thanks to Tom Cruise

Epic has launched a free multiplayer DLC pack for Gears of War 3. The Versus Booster Map Pack adds brand-new arenas Bullet Marsh and Clocktower and unlocks the Horde Command Pack's Azura, Rustlung and Blood Drive maps for all players. Also available are new contests and challenges to celebrate the upcoming launch of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. It's an unexpected pairing, but who are you to complain where your free maps are coming from?

Above: Don't worry, paying Horde Command customers: you still have the rest of the pack to yourselves

Along with this comes the Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol Experience section of Xbox Live, with free downloads and clips that'll put players into the draw to win a custom Xbox 360, 50” HDTV, home theatre system, and DVDs of all the Mission: Impossible movies. Details and contest rules are available within the Experience section itself.

The Gears/Mission: Impossible tie-in also gives players the challenge of watching the Ghost Protocol trailer on Xbox Live then completing Gears 3 on Insane difficulty before Christmas. Complete this feat and you'll unlock Ghost Protocol-themed skins for the Lancer, Hammerburst, Retro Lancer, Gnasher Shotgun and Sawed-off Shotgun. The skins won't actually improve your game any, but there's bragging rights to be had, and anyway, you just completed the game on its hardest difficulty – how much more of an advantage do you really need?