Sydney, Australia – Spartans, steel yourselves for a new test of valor and prepare to defy the Covenant! The battle for Reach reignites today with the worldwide launch of three spectacular new multiplayer maps for the top-rated blockbuster shooter of 2010, “Halo: Reach.”

Available exclusively on Xbox LIVE for 800 Microsoft Points, the “Halo: Reach” Defiant Map Pack features three majestic battlefields set on the besieged planet – including the first ever downloadable Firefight map! With battlefronts set on a giant orbital station high above the burning surface of the planet, hidden inside the forest of a military wilderness training facility, and dug into the remnants of a civilian mining site, the Defiant Map Pack brings awesome new environments for Firefight matches and all competitive multiplayer modes.

· Condemned: Condemned takes place aboard Orbital Station Gamma, a massive space station high in orbit above the planet Reach. Prior to the Covenant’s overwhelming invasion, Orbital Station Gamma provided long range communications for UNSC fleets and a vital lifeline between Reach and Earth. During the Battle of Reach, the station suffered terrible punishment at the hands of the Covenant but a few fortified sections remain intact, fully pressurized, and ready for combat. Condemned supports 6 – 12 players in a variety of action-packed game types, including Team Slayer, Team Objective and Free for All.

· Highlands: Highlands takes place on the top-secret Military Wilderness Training Preserve on Reach. The Preserve is a large, wooded area where Spartan super-soldiers trained long before the war with the Covenant began. During the Battle of Reach, the Preserve was the site of key battles between the alien invaders and a group of Spartans who used their familiarity with these UNSC training grounds to significant tactical advantage…but not everyone who enters these woods makes it out alive. Highlands expands the fight with massive-scale engagements for 8 – 16 players in Big Team Battle, Team Slayer and Team Objective.

· Unearthed: Unearthed takes the battle for Reach to a large Titanium mine and refinery located in the Viery civilian sector of the planet. This particular mine was built to take advantage of the exposed titanium inside a massive meteor crater. The titanium produced here is used in much of the UNSC hardware, from the chassis of the Warthog to the meters-thick armor plating of capital ships like the UNSC Pillar of Autumn. While this facility was quickly abandoned when the Covenant arrived on Reach, it still has significant tactical (and economic) value and it won’t be long before both humans and Covenant return to battle for control. Unearthed allows up to 4 players to launch a counterassault against the Covenant in Firefight and Firefight modes such as Generator Defense.

Developed in partnership with Certain Affinity, the Defiant Map Pack includes all new Achievements worth a total of 150 Gamerscore.

Alongside the launch of the new map pack, “Halo: Reach” is available on Games on Demand today, offering anyone who’s yet to experience the blockbuster prequel to the “Halo” trilogy an easy way to enlist in Noble Team and jump into the multiplayer fray!

Before you sink your boots in the trenches, be sure to check out the new Red vs. Blue walkthrough video available today on Halo Waypoint on Xbox LIVE, HaloWaypoint.com, Waypoint on Windows Phone 7 and www.redversusblue.com, which features tips and strategies from the famed machinima creators on how to triumph over your online opponents on the brand new maps.