Gears of War: Judgment pass includes permanent double XP

Gamers who spend $20 on the Gears of War: Judgment VIP Season Pass will receive a permanent double XP boost for multiplayer, Epic Games announced today. Buying the pass is the only way to achieve the experience multiplier, the company said.

In addition, the Season Pass for Gears of War: Judgment includes six multiplayer maps, two new game modes, and nine "exclusive" unlocks. Players who buy the pass will receive early access to multiplayer maps and also five weapon skins and four armor skins.

Epic Games announced earlier today that men's magazine Maxim is sponsoring the release of Gears of War: Judgment maps Capitol and Haven, as well as the Execution game mode. These offerings will be made available as free downloads on April 2.

Explaining the partnership with Maxim, an Epic Games representative told GameSpot that the deal allowed the developer to release the maps and mode for free. No Maxim-branded content will be found in the game itself, the company said.

Gears of War: Judgment is due out exclusively on Xbox 360 March 19, 2013 and is the first entry in the series since 2011's trilogy-capping Gears of War 3.

Developed by Epic Games in conjunction with Bulletstorm studio People Can Fly, the project focuses on series soldier Damon Baird and will not use the Kinect.

For more on Gears of War: Judgment, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.