Microsoft today kicked off a free weekend of Gears of War 2 multiplayer, allowing those poor Xbox Live Silver members a chance to get online and play some Gears 2 multiplayer.

The event runs from today through August 3 at 11:59am EST (8:59am PST).

More screenshots of next week's Gears of War 2 expansion "Dark Corners" were released today, providing a look at the downloadable pack's seven new multiplayer maps.

The content--which also includes a "deleted" campaign chapter--will be available on July 28, one week from today, for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). An all-inclusive collection of GoW2 DLC, dubbed "All Fronts," will be available that day for 1600 MS Points ($20).

Epic has released the patch notes for the next Gears of Wars 2 update, which will pave the way for the campaign and multiplayer downloadable content of Dark Corners, add XP gain to Horde, touch balance up, and bring a smattering of improvements and fixes.

No release date is known as Update 4 has yet to pass certification, but it is of course expected before the release of Dark Corners on July 28. Dark Corners will come on its lonesome for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15), or in a 1600 Point ($20) All Fronts pack with all previous DLCs too. The planned All Fronts retail release has been scrapped.

Improvements

Title Update 4 makes these new improvements:

• Adds the ability to collect multiplayer experience by playing Horde mode. Players currently gain experience at this rate:
  • 50 points per completed Casual wave.
  • 75 points per completed Normal wave... Read more

These shots of the upcoming Gears of War 2 Dark Corners DLC show a quick glimpse of the seven multiplayer maps, but most notably offer a look at the "deleted" campaign chapter, which will see Marcus and Dom steathily infiltrating the Locust Hollow (see below, right). The pack will be available on July 28 for 1600 Microsoft Points ($20). The simultaneously-releasing Gears of War 2 "All Fronts" retail package will also run $20, and is set to include: the Dark Corners DLC; the Flashback, Combustible and Snowblind map packs; and a poster, Live theme and strategy guide.

As Gears of War 2 hits 5 million sales, Epic Games has announced a bumper retail add-on with all current downloadable content packs and the new Dark Corners DLC.

The $20 Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection contains the Flashback, Combustible and Snowblind map packs, a poster, Live theme and strategy guide, plus Dark Corners.

The Dark Corners DLC--also available by itself on the Xbox Live Marketplace for 1600 MS Points ($20)--contains 7 new multiplayer maps and a 'deleted' campaign chapter where Marcus and Dom return to the Locust Hollow, playable with stealth or violence.

The Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection and the Dark Corners DLC both arrive July 28.

Final Update: Our supply of codes has been exhausted. Thanks again everyone!

Update: Over one thousand entries later, our random number generator has picked the final batch of Snowblind Pack winners: pancake humper, DionB250, hellpaddy, Visceral Monkey, Pearce94. Winners, check your Shackmesages for your code.

Thanks to everyone that entered--seriously, over a thousand entries is amazing--and major, major kudos to the team at GearsofWar.com for making this possible.

We still have some golden weapon codes left, so watch Twitter--our stash runs out Friday evening. Keep an eye out for more Shacknews contests in the future... Read more

New screenshots and a trailer highlight the frag-tastic wintery wonderland found in Epic's upcoming $10 "Snowblind Map Pack" DLC for Gears of War 2 (X360).

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This third map pack for Gears of War 2 brings three snowy new maps and a frosty remake of popular Gears of War map 'Fuel Depot'. Snowblind is available March 31.

Details from Microsoft today round out the picture of the upcoming Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack and Gears of War 2 Snowblind Map Pack downloadable content.

The Snowblind Pack, due March 31, will cost 800 Microsoft Points--$10 of your Earth moneys. Snowblind brings four new winter-themed maps to Gears of War 2, including a frosted remake of popular Gears of War map Fuel Depot.

Halo 3's Mythic Map Pack has been scheduled for a April 9 release. The Mythic Map Pack, also costing 800 Microsoft Points, contains the three maps previously released with the Halo Wars Limited Edition.

More multiplayer maps and another patch for Gears of War 2 (X360) are due before the end of March, according to the official site of the cover-heavy action game.

Due March 31, the "Snowblind Map Pack" will deliver four winter-themed multiplayer maps: Grind Yard, Under Hill, Courtyard, and a remake of Fuel Depot from Gears 1. No pricing was mentioned, but the last multiplayer map pack sold for 800 MS Points ($10).

As for the next update, it will bring a new experience-based ranking system plus a variety of fixes when it arrives on March 24. The full patch notes follow below:

Improvements

• Adds 100 levels of player experience that you can gain based on your score in Public matches. The game still uses Trueskill for matchmaking to find the most competitive matches, but the skill rank is now hidden. The new ... Read more

Following Gears of War 2 writer Josh Ortega's recent revelation that Epic has a "a ten-year plan" for the action-centric franchise, the developer has denied such plans.

"We appreciate the enthusiasm Josh has for our franchise but we don't have a ten-year plan," Epic VP Mark Rein informed VG247. "We always have ideas of where we'd like it to go but it's determined on a game-by-game basis and ultimately by fan support."

"In this industry you can't plan games very far in advance," he added.

Rein explained that Epic is focused on supporting Gears of War 2, which hit Xbox 360 last fall, noting that the team is currently working on a title update for the game, and will then start planning the next update after it completes the current one.

During a panel at this year's New York Comic Con, Gears of War 2 writer Josh Ortega revealed that developer Epic has "a ten-year plan" for the action-centric franchise.

"Gears is long-term. The lancer is the new lightsaber," he added, according to IGN. The statements came in response to a question about a potential prequel.

Along with two video games, the series has spawned a comic book and a forthcoming feature film, which director Len Wiseman hopes will be the first of a trilogy. The initial game hit PC and Xbox 360, while the second has only appeared on Xbox 360.

Ortega also hinted that downloadable content may expand the single-player portion of Gears of War 2. After being asked about the possibility of single-player DLC, he told fans to "keep watching" and assured the crowd that they "won't be disappointed."

Director Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard, Underworld: Evolution) is planning to helm a triplet of films based on Epic's Gears of War shooter franchise, according to a new interview.

"The hope is that we're wanting to do three movies and really cover the bases on everything," said Wiseman to horror site Bloody-Disgusting. "Basically a harder edged Lord Of The Rings."

Wiseman signed on to direct the Gears adaptation last June. The screenplay is being penned by Chris Morgan (Wanted, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift), with the project being financed by Legendary Pictures and New Line Cinema.

"It's going to be much more [on the] science fiction side of it than the creature side of it," added Wiseman of the film. "I've always been much more of a sci-fi action fan than a horror fan."

The "major" patch for Gears of War 2 that developer Epic promised has arrived, with the Xbox 360 game prompting users to update upon signing into Xbox Live.

The update resolves a number of exploits, such as crabwalking, along with various bugs. It also adds new achievements for those that have downloaded new maps.

"I want to thank our community for their patience while we finished this title update and I want to thank everyone for their ongoing support of the game," senior producer Rod Fergusson wrote on the game's official forums.

Exploit Fixes
Title Update 2 fixes these possible exploits, where under certain circumstances:
• A player could melee or grenade tag through certain walls.
• A player could equip a shield and a two-handed weapon simultaneously.
• A player could make their shield invisible... Read more

The Flashback Map Pack, at first only available as a free download to new purchasers of Gears of War 2, has been put up for general sale on Xbox Live. The pack sells for 400 Microsoft Points ($5), and includes five remakes of maps from the original Gears of War: Canals, Gridlock, Mansion, Subway and Tyro Station.

Owners of used Gears 2 copies, rejoice.

A "major" Gears of War 2 (360) update should resolve a number of exploits, latency issues, and add achievement progress tracking later this month, writes developer Epic.

"We're fixing a whole bunch of online exploits," Epic VP Mark Rein posted on the game's official forums. "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."

While Rein said that this was just a "very small list of some of the things that will be in the next title update," other promised tweaks include increased penalties for quitting matches early, more spawn protection against planted grenades and chainsaws, a more reliable shotgun in laggy matches, achievement tracking, and DLC achievements.

Now available for 800 Microsoft Points ($10) on the Xbox Live Marketplace is the Combustible Map Pack for Gears of War 2 (X360). As noted last night, the DLC offers three new multiplayer maps: Flood, Gold Rush, and Fuel Station. Here's a trailer:

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Update: Mere moments into the Spike Video Game Awards, supermodel Marisa Miller announced that the Gears of War 2 "Combustible" multiplayer map pack will be indeed released tonight at 12 AM PST / 3 AM EST. No pricing was mentioned.

One of the new maps, Flood, was previously unveiled in a batch of leaked screenshots. Two other maps, Fuel Station and Gold Rush, were named tonight as well.

Update 2: The Combustible Map Pack is now available for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

Original: A new downloadable map pack for Gears of War 2 will be... Read more

After a month at retailers, Epic Games' cover-heavy action sequel Gears of War 2 (X360) has sold over three million copies around the world, the developer has disclosed.

"[Publisher] Microsoft confirmed to me this afternoon that Gears of War 2 sell-through surpassed 3 million units as of last week," Epic VP Mark Rein confirmed with Edge.

Following its November 7 debut, Gears of War 2 sold over two million units in its opening weekend. The original Gears of War has sold 5 million copies, claims Edge.

Fulfilling its earlier promise. Gears of War 2 developer Epic has released an update for the game that it says should "should help with the current matchmaking issues."

Players will be automatically prompted to download the patch upon booting the game while signed into Xbox Live, and will need to apply the update in order to play online.

"In order to get the update out as quickly as possible, we focused just on immediate infrastructure issues and have left any potential gameplay issues for a future update," senior producer Rod Fergusson wrote on the game's official forum.

The patch details, as relayed by Fergusson, follow:

• Adjustments to make Public matchmaking faster, especially in the single player party and the four player party case. Some of these adjustments should be felt immediately and some will play out over several days... Read more

While developer Epic investigates a lasting fix for the slow online matchmaking that has plagued some Gears of War 2 (360) players, senior producer Rod Fergusson has apologized for the issues and provided some temporary workarounds.

"It's a complicated issue as there isn't any one problem; it's a combination of factors," Fergussion wrote on the game's official forum. He also acknowledged that the issue was "unacceptable" and noted the studio's hope to release a fix soon.

Until that update arrives, Epic suggests:

If you're experiencing long delays (longer than 2 minutes) or you're seeing your matchmaking search restarting over and over again, please try a different playlist as that indicates a possible population issue with the currently selected one.

The problem seems to be heightened for parties of 1 and parties of 4 so please try to invite at least one friend into your party... Read more