After getting an early accidental announcement last week (and coinciding with creator Cliff Bleszinski's appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night), Microsoft has officially lifted the veil off of Gears of War 3, announcing it'll be released on April 5, 2011 in North America, April 7 in Japan, and April 8 in Europe and the rest of the world.
Gears 3 naturally picks up where Gears of War 2 left off, taking place after the destruction of the last human city on Earth and telling a story of "hope, survival, and brotherhood that will conclude the current story arc for Gears of War." Note the careful choice of the words "current story arc." In other words, don't expect this to necessarily be the last Gears of War game the world ever sees.
And with the announcement barely a few hours old, there's already one potentially juicy gameplay tidbit circulating the Internet: According to a forum thread on the Epic Games website (via VG247), Epic IP boss Rod Fergusson reportedly revealed in an IRC chat that Gears 3 would feature four-player co-op, with players controlling Marcus, Dom, Cole, and Baird. This is very much unconfirmed, though, so we'll update if confirmation comes from Epic themselves.
"When we released Gears of War more than three years ago, we set out to tell the world an unforgettable story of bravery and sacrifice in the face of insurmountable odds, and a year from now, players will get the chance to experience the final chapter in the story of Marcus Fenix and his companions in Delta Squad," Bleszinski said in a statement. "This is definitely the biggest and most dramatic chapter yet in the Gears of War saga, and we can't wait to deliver it."
Lastly, if you want to revel in even more Gears of War-related content, Microsoft will also release Gears 3-styled Avatar items on April 20, including an Avatar version of the new COG armor.
Originally published on 1UP.com.
