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Halo 4 Limited Edition bundles nine maps

$100 premium edition of upcoming sci-fi shooter to include nine maps, early access to six specializations, live-action film; Spartan Ops mode detailed.

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Gamers looking forward to restarting the fight have a new option to consider, as Microsoft today announced Halo 4 Limited Edition.

Halo 4 Limited Edition will set you back $100.
Halo 4 Limited Edition will set you back $100.

The premium bundle includes access to the War Games map pack, which includes nine new environments spread across three future multiplayer add-ons. A release schedule for the map packs will be unveiled at a later date.

A Microsoft representative told GameSpot this afternoon that the map packs will be available for purchase separately after launch through Xbox Live. Pricing information was not made available, but the company said this will be announced later.

Additionally, Halo 4 Limited Edition grants gamers early access to six specializations, which unlock additional customization options. The six specializations available in Halo 4 Limited Edition will be made available at a later date to all gamers.

On top of that, Halo 4 Limited Edition packs in the UNSC Infinity Briefing Packet, which includes an armor customization diagram, a blueprint of the Infinity ship, and additional "insight" into what it means to be a Spartan-IV soldier.

The premiums don't end there. Halo 4 Limited Edition also includes various digital content offerings delivered through Xbox Live, as well as the special edition of the upcoming 90-minute live-action film Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.

On top of announcing Halo 4 Limited Edition, Microsoft today formally took the wraps off Halo 4's Spartan Ops offering. This mode will offer a weekly series of episodes through Xbox Live that tells the story of the UNSC Infinity and its crew after the events of Halo 4. The episodes will also introduce players to a new team of Spartans called Majestic Squad.

According to Microsoft, the episodes will provide a backdrop for the Spartan Ops game missions, which will also be released on a weekly basis. Gamers can take on these objective-based missions either alone or with up to three friends. Further specifics were not offered.

Halo 4 is due for a worldwide release exclusively on the Xbox 360 on November 6. It is a sequel to 2007's Halo 3 and takes place nearly five years after the events of that game. Halo 4 is currently in development at Microsoft's new Halo label 343 Industries, the shop that recently took over for series creator Bungie.

For more on Halo 4, check out GameSpot's latest coverage.

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