Good news everybody, the new Halo 2 Blastacular Map Pack is now available to download via Xbox Live. The pack consists of two maps,  Tombstone and Desolation, and costs £2.00.

This is an original Xbox content, so it cannot simply be downloaded from the Xbox Live Marketplace. They must be downloaded from the Halo 2 in game download menu. This means you will need a valid credit card, so MS points can’t be used.

Tombstone

Desolation

Yay, Bungie has finally released some details about the much anticaped new Halo 2 multiplayer maps. The two new maps should be available to download (from the Halo 2 ingame menus only) on April 17th.

Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios today confirmed the upcoming release of two new, eagerly awaited downloadable maps for “Halo 2.” The maps will be available as premium downloadable content for Xbox and Xbox 360 on April 17.

Fans of the original “Halo” have long requested the addition of some of their favorite maps to the critically acclaimed multiplayer experience of Halo 2. These re-creations, developed by Bungie and Certain Affinity Inc., are a perfect way to thank fans for their support as they surpass 800 million hours of Halo 2 gaming on Xbox LIVE.

The two maps will bring new life to ancient battlefields and legendary skirmishes, as both are new, improved and redesigned remakes of fan favorites from the original “Halo: Combat Evolved.” For the price of $4 for the pair, these maps bring a fresh burst of action to the seminal “Halo 2″ online multiplayer experience. Both of the maps will be available through the “Halo 2″ in-game content downloader for both Xbox and Xbox 360.*

The king of “Halo” maps has returned at last. Hang ’Em High, arguably the most popular multiplayer map for the original title, has been reimagined for Halo 2 as Tombstone, with all-new graphics, features and a few hidden surprises. Now fans will enjoy the dangerous catwalks and trenches that made this the most requested “Halo” multiplayer map ever, with a modernized “Halo 2″ flavor.

The second map, Desolation, is a symmetrical, Deathmatch-oriented map and a beautiful remake of the original Derelict. With new graphics and effects and a massive gameplay overhaul, the old favorite is now faster-paced and more balanced than ever — perfect for intense Halo 2 combat.

Tombstone

Desolation

In some excellent news, Bungie has also announced that it is to be releasing some new multiplayer maps for Halo 2. Unfortunately for original Xbox owners, the new maps will only be available via the Xbox Live Marketplace and thus only available for use on the 360 (you will also need a hard drive to store them). No news on how many maps will be made available or indeed how much they will cost. Expect them to arrive sometime in the spring 2007.

Further Information from the Bungie.net website…

Some interesting changes to the Halo 2matchmaking playlist this month. We have the all new Team SWat added, plus the split of Big Team Battle into two seperate playlists – BTB Skirmish and BTB Slayer. Sadly there is no more 6v6 BTB, but I guess they don’t but you can’t have everything. The complete list of changes are listed below:

New Playlist Lineups

• Team SWAT
• Big Team Playlists

Global Changes

• Clanmatch has been removed
• Team SWAT (unranked) has been added
• Big Team Battle and 6v6 Team Battle have been removed
• BTB Skirmish (ranked) and BTB Slayer (unranked) have been added (note: BTB Skirmish will retain rankings from Big Team Battle)

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