Black Ops' 'First Strike' DLC hits XBL Feb. 1

Yesterday, during Microsoft's director of Xbox Live programming Major Nelson's weekly podcast, Treyarch's Dan Bunting announced Call of Duty: Black Ops' first map pack, First Strike. The $15 (1,200 MS points) content will arrive on Xbox Live as a timed exclusive, as part of Microsoft's deal to land Call of Duty map packs before any other service.

The content packs in four competitive environments: "Discovery," which is set in an antarctic German research center; "Berlin Wall," set near the famous Checkpoint Charlie in Germany; "Stadium," a map set inside a United States hockey rink; "Kowloon," set in the Chinese city on rooftops, as well as one environment for the title's Zombie mode, "Ascension." None of the maps are based on previous environments, according to Treyarch, as was the case with Modern Warfare 2's controversial Stimulus Package.

Black Ops depicts a number of Cold War-era covert operations in such countries as Russia, Vietnam, and Cuba. The game represents new territory for the series, which has previously focused on more familiar World War II and modern-day settings.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is now available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, DS, and PC. For more information, check out GameSpot's review.