?Starhawk? Release Date Arrives, See Concept Art For Free DLC Map Pack ?Cypress? [TRAILER]

The release date for LightBox Interactive's Starhawk is finally here, but the surprise isn't over for gamers. LightBox Interactive announced that all future downloadable content maps will be free.

We are incredibly excited to announce that all map packs for Starhawk will be free, LightBox Interactive President Dylan Jobe posted on the official PlayStation blog. Yeah, you read that right...FREE.

The results of a previous Warhawk DLC sparked a change in the way new content would be released, the announcement read. When the new map pack for that game was launched, divisions were forced upon Warhawk players.

And after we released three expansions, our player community was pretty fractured. With Starhawk, that all ends! Jobe wrote.

The company continued to write that they are already in the early development stages for a map pack that will be released at a later date. The first DLC take players to the planet of Cypress, and the artwork shows a swampy abandoned research facility. The LightBox president posted four early sketches for fans to preview as they wait for the content to be finished. The first features a warm, earthy tone while the other four give off a dark and murky vibe. Referred to as the Abandoned Rift Research Facility in the description, this map looks like it will provide an exciting battleground for plenty of shootouts.

A lush, swampy world that's home to an abandoned research facility that many years ago was responsible for researching the mysteries of Rift Energy, Jobe describes.

The biggest addition to the Warhawk follow-up is the integration of a single-player campaign mode, giving players an opportunity to perfect their shots while crafting their strategy skills at the same time, as VentureBeat notes.

But after undergoing DLC controversies with other big-name games, the free downloadable content should be a refreshing touch for gamers. Street Fighter X Tekken sold 1.4 million copies in March despite a number of characters being locked on disc behind a paywall, as Forbes reported. There were also rumors in April indicating that the upcoming Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut DLC was originally supposed to come with a price tag, which BioWare disproved.

Check out the video below to view the launch trailer and check out the PlayStation official blog to see the Cypress concept art.