Epic Teases Gears of War 2 Release on Nov. 9

Though developer Epic Games and publisher Microsoft have yet to announce an official release date for Gears of War 2 (360), a new splash image on the game's official site suggests it will arrive on or around November 6.

When translated to their corresponding ASCII text values, the numbers on the dog tags--033 116 117 126 071--reveal a hidden message of "ESC Nov 9."

As November 9 is a Sunday, it's possible that the game could arrive that day or continue in the tradition of the original Gears, which shipped and was available at retailers the Tuesday before its marketed Sunday launch--an event labeled "Emergence Day."

Both Epic and Microsoft have yet to formally confirm anything other than a vague November projection for the cover-heavy action sequel, though more details are expected to arrive amid next's week E3 Media & Business summit activities.