The “Gears of War 2: Dark Corners” Game Add-on includes seven brand new multiplayer maps and a new campaign chapter, “Road to Ruin.” “Dark Corners” launches on Xbox LIVE Marketplace on July 28. The entertainment blockbuster of 2008, “Gears of War 2″ has now surpassed 5 million copies sold worldwide.

Source: Xbox Press Releases & Feature Stories

Gears of War 2, the entertainment blockbuster of 2008, has surpassed five million copies sold worldwide and the overall Gears of War franchise sales have eclipsed the eleven million unit mark. The momentum doesn’t stop there—to commemorate these milestones, Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games will unleash the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection, a value-packed compilation that combines all previous Gears of War 2 game add-ons with brand new multiplayer and campaign content for $19.99. Available only at retail, the new collection invades store shelves worldwide on July 28 in LIVE-enabled regions.

Included in the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection is the Gears of War 2: Dark Corners game add-on, which features seven new multiplayer maps, plus a deleted campaign chapter called Road to Ruin. In this exclusive episode, Marcus and Dom return to the Locust Hollow in a scene that can be played two ways, guns blazing or in all-new stealth mode.

Map Details

Seven brand-new multiplayer maps are included in the Dark Corners add-on.

• Allfathers Garden: Honor the sacred grounds of the Coalition founders in this explosive map, where powerful weapons catalyze fast and furious action at this COG landmark.
• Memorial: Set near the Eternal Flame, which pays tribute to the fallen soldiers on the battlefield, a hard-fought battle ensues at the Tomb of Unknowns. Putting your flank formation and evasive skills to the test as you fight to control the Boomshot.
• Sanctuary: Once a peaceful ground for reflection and remembrance, all that remains of the Sanctuary is the chill of death. Feast your eyes on the arsenal of weapons available as you make your way through the tight paths and blind corners of the Locust-damaged temple corridors.
• War Machine: In the abandoned train station that once served as a hub for travel, you will need to master the Longshot, Mulcher, and Boomshot weapons to advance the fight while evading fire from the platforms above.
• Highway: Take the fight deep into the Locust Hollow in the complex passages of this underground highway system brimming with enemy vermin. Stick together, separate the enemy and have an exit strategy ready or it’ll be a one-way trip.
• Way Station: Sitting in limbo between death and “processing” are Locust way stations filled with fallen COG soldiers. Tread lightly and practice patience as it’s better to sacrifice firepower for stealth while navigating this minefield of hidden grenades.
• Nowhere: Set in the middle of what was once a destination for weary desert travellers, the land is now barren and devoid of life. Pick off your enemies with the Longshot sniper rifle and make your way to the stairwell with a well-fortified team during this intense firefight.

As if that wasn’t enough, the All Fronts Collection also contains every Gears of War 2 game add-on released to date on Marketplace, including the classic Flashback Map Pack, volatile Combustible Map Pack and the winter-themed Snowblind Map Pack.

Also included is an introduction to Road to Ruin from Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski, along with a custom Xbox LIVE theme, collectible Gears of War 2 poster, plus a strategy guide. Containing over 3,600 Microsoft Points worth of great stuff, the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection is an incredible value at $19.99.

Are you already enjoying the previously released collection of map packs? Available with the All Fronts Collection, the Dark Corners game add-on will be available separately for 1,600 MS Points via download from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Source: Xbox Press Releases & Feature Stories

Gears of War 2: Snowblind Multiplayer Map Pack is now available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace. The multiplayer map pack is available in all Xbox Live regions (except Germany and Japan) and costs 800 points.

This winter-themed pack brings you four Gears of War 2 maps sure to heat up your multiplayer and Horde action. Hunt your enemies down in the snowy day-lit heights or the dark tunnels of Under Hill. The massive industrial complex of Grind Yard gives numerous bunkers for cover, but watch out for snipers high in the flanking buildings. Beware the falling monuments in Courtyard, where wide-open spaces give you plenty of opportunities to gun down your enemies—unless they strike first. And due to fan demand, the popular Gears 1 map Fuel Depot makes its return.

Read more…

Good news for frustrated Gears of War 2 fans, Epic Games just announced details of the upcoming title update for Gears of War 2; patches and game play improvements galore.

First of all I hope all of you had a safe and happy holiday season.

As I mentioned before the break we’ve been working on a major title update for Gears of War 2. This update will address bugs and exploits as well as add some new achievements related to downloadable content. We don’t have an exact date for it but all indicators are it will go live within January. If that changes we’ll let you know.

We’re fixing a whole bunch of online exploits. For example we’ve fixed the ability to wield an invisible shield, melee through some walls, gain infinite Lancer ammo and equip a shield and a two-handed weapon simultaneously plus many more.

We’re also making several small changes to improve the overall online gameplay experience. A few of the ones that might interest you are; increased penalties for quitting matches early, adding additional spawn protection against planted grenades and chainsaw attacks, and adding the ability to see the Submission flag carrier destination by using Tac/Com.

We know you folks love achievements so on the achievement side we’re adding achievement progress numbers to the War Journal, increasing the frequency of in-game Achievement progression notifications and adding some new Achievements for DLC.

This is just a very small list of some of the things that will be in the next title update but one more item which has been talked about a lot in our forums deserves a special call out…

About that shotgun…

We fixed the client side hit detection on the shotgun so that in a high-latency (i.e. “laggy”) match, the shotgun will be more reliable. We’ve also fixed another bug whereby shotgun and boomshot rounds could strike the ground when firing from the hip.

So there’s a brief status report on the next title update. At some point I expect we’ll post a more detailed list but I assure you we’re working hard to get this out the door and once it’s done we’ll start working on the next update. We’ll try to do a better job keeping you informed of our progress on future updates and we’ll try to be a little more active in the forums once this update is released.

Gears of War 2: Combustible Multiplayer Map Pack is now available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace. The multiplayer map pack is available in all Xbox Live regions (except Germany and Japan) and costs 800 points.

Explosive action takes center stage in these three new Gears 2 multiplayer maps: Flood, Gold Rush, and Fuel Station. Flood features a rising flow of Imulsion that drives the fight into close quarters. Infiltrate an Imulsion factory in Gold Rush, where multiple levels and volatile materials guarantee memorable encounters. Fuel Station delivers a dangerous battle around an abandoned refueling facility. There are no refunds for this item.

It’s official, Gears of War 2 is coming exclusively to the Xbox 360 sometime in November 2008.

Official Gears of War 2 Debut Trailer

2008 Game Developers Conference Press Conference Announcement