Bungie have released their first piece of downloadble content for the much loved Halo 3. As expected, it's a multiplayer map pack, and for the princely sum of 800 Microsoft Points you'll be able to battle it out on three new maps; Standoff, Rat’s Nest and Foundry.

Standoff’s symmetrical valley, with its entrenched bases and fields of boulders is ideal for mid-sized objective and Slayer game types, while Rat’s Nest’s vast, labyrinthine passages bring something new to the "Halo" multiplayer experience: an indoor vehicle paradise, strongly influenced by the Campaign mode, ideal for big team battles. Finally, Foundry is the ultimate Forge map – players can edit every single object in this voluminous industrial warehouse, place stairways, walls, bridges and tunnels to create an entirely new play space and build almost any kind of map they can think of.

First "Halo 3" Downloadable Content Arrives as Heroic Map Pack Hits Xbox 360
Award-winning multiplayer experience evolves with three new maps now available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace

LONDON, 11th December, 2007 — The international award-winning "Halo 3" gets even better as the "Halo 3" Heroic Map Pack launches today on Xbox 360’s Xbox LIVE Marketplace. After launching to incredible acclaim and fanaticism, more than five million "Halo 3" players worldwide can now enjoy a package of three all new multiplayer maps. The Heroic Map Pack is the first in a series of downloadable content from Bungie Studios.

Available for 800 Microsoft Points exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, each map offers a unique experience. Standoff’s symmetrical valley, with its entrenched bases and fields of boulders is ideal for mid-sized objective and Slayer game types, while Rat’s Nest’s vast, labyrinthine passages bring something new to the "Halo" multiplayer experience: an indoor vehicle paradise, strongly influenced by the Campaign mode, ideal for big team battles. Finally, Foundry is the ultimate Forge map – players can edit every single object in this voluminous industrial warehouse, place stairways, walls, bridges and tunnels to create an entirely new play space and build almost any kind of map they can think of.

As if the legions of "Halo 3" players needed more reasons to stay logged on to Xbox LIVE, Forge also allows players to edit and customize all three maps, keeping "Halo 3’s" multiplayer experience fresh, exciting and evolving. In addition, ongoing updates to "Halo 3’s" matchmaking playlists ensure that ranked and social gameplay remains dynamic and competitive.

The maps of the Heroic Pack are available in matchmaking today to those who have purchased the download. All three maps will become available as a free download via Xbox LIVE Marketplace in Spring 2008, just prior to the next wave of all new "Halo 3" multiplayer maps.