Halo 4 playlist update adds SWAT and new Spartan Ops episode

Halo 4 has received its first playlist update, and this one is pretty big. First and foremost, this new playlist update adds SWAT, a game mode that takes away your shield and you radar for healthy dose of one-hit kill tension. SWAT was a fan-favorite multiplayer mode in Halo: Reach, and after being mysteriously absent from the playlist line up in Halo 4 at launch, it's here at last.

Oh, did we also mention that there aren't any armor abilities or custom load outs in SWAT? As the description of the Halo: Reach game mode described, it's "just you, your DMR, and a lot of headshots." In Halo 4's SWAT mode, players actually get to pick between the DMR and the Battle Rifle, but aside from that little change, it appears that SWAT is more or less the same as it was in Halo: Reach.

Also available today is a brand new episode for Halo 4's Spartan Ops mode dubbed "Artifact." Like episode 1 before it, episode 2 features five playable chapters, with more episodes on the way shortly. Needless to say, if you're a Spartan Ops fan, you'll probably be quite pleased with this playlist update.

Make no mistake, this is a pretty big update for Halo 4 fans – or at least for the ones who have been begging 343 Industries for SWAT since the game launched last Tuesday. Checking the Xbox 360 here at SlashGear Towers confirms that the playlist update is live, so go nuts! How about it – are you a fan of SWAT, or has it never been your cup of tea?