Halo 2's map pack set back

Amid the E3 tornado of news and announcements, Bungie broke some bad news to Halo 2 fans: The Multiplayer Map Pack has been delayed. Fortunately, the delay is nothing like the lengthy postponing of Halo 2, and this only sets the expansion back seven days, from June 28 to July 5.

The Map Pack will come in two versions, a boxed retail version that will sell for $19.99, and a downloadable version for $11.99. The boxed version will include the gameplay patches previously available over Xbox Live, as well as a new cinematic and a mini-documentary.

Bungie previously released four maps over Xbox Live: Warlock, Turf, Sanctuary, and Containment. The remaining five maps, Terminal, Elongation, Backwash, Gemini, and Relic, will be downloadable the same day all nine maps hit retail shelves.

In an interview with a fan on its Web site, Bungie announced that it currently has no plans to release any additional maps in the near future, as it is currently working on an unnamed project.

For more information on the new maps, check out GameSpot's preview of the first round of new battlefields. To learn more about the Mature-rated Halo 2, read the full review.