The nine multiplayer maps that were included in the Halo 2: Multiplayer Map Pack disk (released earlier this summer) are now available as free downloads for Halo 2 and Xbox Live owners. To download the maps, gamers will have to sign on to Xbox Live and use the content download option from the menu. The first four maps were previously available as free downloads. The new additions are Backwash, Elongation, Gemini, Relic and Terminal.

Below is a clipping of the original press release for the Halo 2 map pack:

The maps breathe new life into Halo 2’s award-winning gameplay, and they encompass a variety of environments that will appeal to every type of multiplayer gamer. Set in a Forerunner environment on Delta Halo, Containment is a massive, icy outdoor area suitable for vehicle combat and large team-objective games. Warlock, a small- to midsized indoor arena set in ancient Forerunner ruins, offers ample opportunities for a variety of game types. Located in the streets of Old Mombasa near the wreckage of a downed Covenant Scarab, Turf is a midsize urban combat environment with narrow streets, dark alleyways and heavily defended buildings. Sanctuary is a medium-sized symmetrical environment in the sunlit remains of an ancient Forerunner temple. Gemini is a smaller map set high in space above the lights of High Charity. Relic is a medium-sized map set on a beach littered with wreckage from a dropship. Featuring narrow passageways and a constantly moving conveyor belt, Elongation provides a challenging environment ideal for a variety of game types. Terminal is a large map that is great for team-objective games, and it is filled with hazards including an active monorail that players can move across. Backwash is set within the valley of a large swamp covered with a thick mist. Rainfall and sound effects help evoke the feel of a highly organic eco-system.