Huge Gears 2 patch, map pack soon

By Tom Bramwell Published 13 March, 2009

Experience system, Achievements, more.

Epic has announced that it will release an expansive free patch for Gears of War 2 on 24th March, introducing a new experience system and associated Achievements.

This will then be followed by a new premium map pack, called Snowblind, on 31st March, introducing three new maps and a remake of Fuel Depot from Gears 1.

The patch - sorry, Title Update 3 - implements an experience-based ranking system and rebalances gameplay modes in order to give players a better sense of progression, rather than relying on Microsoft's TrueSkill system (although TS will still be used behind the scenes to some extent).

In an interview with GameSpot (thanks Kotaku), executive producer Rod Fergusson said it was "really a reward thing to make people feel better about their progression online".

Once the patch goes live, players will earn experience in subsequent matches that helps them advance through 100 levels, with significant milestones each getting their own unlockable Achievement. Along with four others introduced in the Snowblind Map Pack, these will account for an extra 250 gamerscore points.

The patch also includes an auto-balancing feature that drops in bots for people who drop out mid-match (dropouts also suffer an XP penalty), and resolves scoring disparities between certain modes (Annex throwing up more experience than Warzone, for instance).

As for the map pack, there's no word yet on pricing, but the last outing - the Combustible Map Pack - sold for 800 Microsoft Points (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.60), which seems like a safe bet.

Fergusson has said that the four maps are Grindyard, a winter-themed junkyard processing plant and spiritual successor to Gears 1's Gridlock; Under Hill, a highway junction leading into a mountain, with an exposed mortar spawn to consider; and Courtyard, which features long sight lines and recalls Embry Square.

Fuel Depot, meanwhile, will be spruced up with a new wintry theme.

You can catch a glimpse of the Snowblind Map Pack and the experience system over in the Gears of War 2 screenshot gallery.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • LiveForever #1 3 years ago

    no lag fix = no sale

  • ronuds #2 3 years ago

    When are they releasing the additional SP content? That's what I was waiting for!

  • andywilkie35 #3 3 years ago

    This has just made me realise that after playing Gears of War 1 online and having a terrible experience (shit multiplayer, cunting american kids screaming all the time), I haven't played Gears of War 2 online a single time since release, despite completing the campaign multiple times

  • bad09 #4 3 years ago

    To late back in the shop with your broken mess Cliffy, KZ2 on the other hand is very good online....

  • Golgo #5 3 years ago

    Any news of a patch for the broken Gears of War on PC yet?

  • Mayhem64 #6 3 years ago

    To be fair, I've played at wildly differing times online (including one 30 hour long "bender";) and I've hardly run into "screaming American kids". Maybe I've just been fortunate. I've been in the middle of two absolute slanging matches between somewhat older teams though, it was highly hilarious listening to the vitriol being thrown from both sides. More entertaining than the games themselves...

    Private matches still rock though regardless. In fact a few people I play with on a regular weekly basis have never been public...

  • Xerx3s #7 3 years ago

    oww... fuel depot was a great map! hohum.
    Edited by 1 at 13/03/09 @ 16:05

  • bad09 #8 3 years ago

    "The stock forum post for any ignorant asshole that doesnt own a 360 but wants to sound like they own one and have a 'legitimate' go at XBL is to overblow the kids/americans/abuse situation.

    It's complete rubbish, as any genuine XBL user knows. "

    Erm...no it isn't....

  • stepneg #9 3 years ago

    Gears 1 I was playing over a year after release Gears 2 on the other hand I forgot about months ago and can't see myself bothering to pick it up again. Too little too late, how to take a great franchise and completely ruin it, well done Epic.

  • Anthony_UK #10 3 years ago

    Personally, the matchmaking is still taking far to long for any of this to be of any interest!

  • ronuds #11 3 years ago

    Yeah, it certainly happens now and again, but it isn't anything that detracts you from wanting to play. It's like 1 in every 15 games you'll get a jackass running off at the mouth. And if you can't find the mute button, then you probably have bigger issues to take care of.

    And, surprise, the "assholes" are certainly not limited to Americans.

  • Vanmunt #12 3 years ago

    Live definately has more assholes than PSN, but probably only because more people use it. I do find that on PSN you seen to be matched with European servers and are spared the repugnant American asswipes... played a game of Gears to have a pubescent American screeming constsantly, but private chat works amazing so its a mute point really.

  • JHuxley #13 3 years ago

    I've come across plenty of asswipes on PSN and TF2 on Steam. They're just part and parcel of online gaming.

    As Vanmunt suggested, maybe you just notice them more on US-based servers.

  • VicViper #14 3 years ago

    @Vanmunt

    The only reason for the precived lack of rabbit swear children is the hefty price point and the fact that in game chat is for all intensive purposes its not there or broken, everyone who gets a 360 has an mic for better or worse.

    On that note Farty are you sure your not on some other Live channel? if you are can I join then I finally be able to use in game chat again. If its not some idiot singing its people in the same team engaged in a racist/sexual slur match. Live chat is a nightmare unless you stick with friends keep it on mute (tip for the day)
    Edited by 1 at 13/03/09 @ 16:54

  • Vanmunt #15 3 years ago

    @Vic

    The only reason for the precived lack of rabit swear children is the hefty price point and the fact that in game is for all intensive purpose not there or broken, everyone who get a 360 has an mic.

    spot on there really.

  • bad09 #16 3 years ago

    "Yes it is, but if you act like an asshole online then I suspect you will get abuse shouted at you so that may explain why some people perceive a higher than average amount of bile being directed at them.

    I've heard a few instances of kids mouthing off and various racial/sexual slurs but only a few in quite a lot of online time.

    It's bull, basically. "

    Rubbish! I mainly (these days) play random matches with no headset now as some of the garbage I hear (mainly from American or British mouths), is sad....
    Edited by 2 at 13/03/09 @ 17:03

  • photoboy #17 3 years ago

    Any word on fixes to the single player part of the game? Last time I played I kept getting stuck in the scenery of the floating raft while trying to fight the giant fish boss. It happened over and over and got me killed at least 4 times, yet the first time I played through the game I had no problems, so I think one of the recent patches broke something.

  • Xerx3s #18 3 years ago

    "Erm...no it isn't.... "

    "Rubbish! I mainly (these days) play random matches with no headset now as some of the garbage I hear (mainly from American or British mouths), is sad...."

    I'm not going to say that there aren't arseholes but not more than anywhere else. I play most workday nights in the week and we always have a shitload of fun. If we can find one retard on a night, it's more than normal. We usually look forward to those people as it gives an extra incentive to kick the arse of a racist cunt.

    Thinking that xbl has more retards percentage wise is just retarded and completely unproven. Quite rightly, it make you sound like a twit.
    Edited by 1 at 13/03/09 @ 17:30

  • DutchDemons #19 3 years ago

    Apparantly they (Epic) will also deal with the lag....indirectly...by keeping tabs on people who knowingly disrupt the connection...apparantly this is now called 'standby'...why this term was chosen, only god knows (and the new wave of gaming-kids).

    But hey....we should be experiencing a somewhat better online GoW 2...which is no small thing, considering the original product was rubbish (online!)

  • RedSparrows #20 3 years ago

    'standby' has been a term since Halo 2 days, probably before.

  • GamesConnoisseur #21 3 years ago

    Pity people are put off by some of the bugs, lags they associated with the games. Only goddamn last night I got my hands on the Horde with few XBL mates and was a great laff, rip roaring time.

    I do have KZ2 as well, I confess that I still yet to finish SP or try out MP and I certainly will do so, and will have interesting contrast with two very different games.

    People saying GoW2 stinks is like perhaps Fartius or me saying KZ2 stinks to high heaven! Waste of time getting into that sort of slanging match!

    Depends what you want from your games and both are rightly praised for the enjoyment they brings, even both have their shares of fault, bugs that dullen some shines. GoW/GoW2 will always hold a special place in my heart. In Edge 200th issue GoW2 get ranked as 58th out of 100 must have games of all time.

    That is damn good when you see other games that get mentioned.

  • MaTTy_P #22 3 years ago

    Personally speaking, horde & co-op on GOW2 are some of the funnest moments ive had in gaming.

  • fiery_jackass #23 3 years ago

    it's the host bridgers and lag switchers that need to get sorted out. Dedicated servers, cliffy, dedicated servers and banhammers. I'm fucking SICK of getting lagged out, of people dropping out, all that.

    Once they get that sorted they could concentrate on powering down that chainsaw and weakening frags and smoke grenades.

  • ParanoidZombie #24 3 years ago

    @jackass: spot on. I can't believe that, 4 months after the game's release, Epic hasn't acknowledged those fundamental issues, because it's been obvious from day 1 that something wasn't right with gears 2 competitive multiplayer. As for myself, i simply ran out of patience and sold the game, this should have been sorted out at the beta stage, we really shouldn't have to put up with those issues.

  • WillyWanka #25 3 years ago

    Thank god they're penalising people who drop out mid-game. I'm sick and tired of people leaving the moment they realise a match won't be a walk in the park.

    The lag is definately less severe after the first patch compared to what it was like at launch, but it still needs improving. GOW2 was a game I was looking forward to for a long time, but I lost interest rapidly as the multiplayer was broken. Still find it shocking that such a high profile game was such a buggy mess on release. But then again they knew gimps like me would buy it regardless...

  • Mayhem64 #26 3 years ago

    Powering down the chainsaw? Why? Anyone with sufficient melee shotgun skills can take out someone 1-on-1 with the chainsaw. Something I've been working on getting better at. Mind you, on more than one occasion I've been labelled a "chainsaw wielding n00b" post match for using it at the right moment to KO someone...

  • Eraytos #27 3 years ago

    @gamesconnoisseur.

    Just because edge magazine put gears 2 in their top 100 games doesnt make it a good game, thats only their opinion. Personally i think gears 2 was seriously dissappointing and the online side to it was terrible.
    Edited by 1 at 14/03/09 @ 18:00

  • fiery_jackass #28 3 years ago

    @mayhem "Anyone with sufficient melee shotgun skills can take out someone 1-on-1 with the chainsaw"
    this just isn't true as a general rule anymore. The chainsaw doesn't drop when the user gets shot, not helped by dubious connection related drops in shotgun effect. Recent changes have weakened the melee attack of the shotgun, leaving you quite vulnerable. The hoover effect of the saw just pulls you in. It's broken and it's constant use drives me up the frigging pole. If there's room you can easily jump back and drop the lancer user, esp with the hammerburst; occasionally the shotgun blows the, umm, noob away in a cloud of guts (most satisfying). More often than not you're sucked in from a stupid distance away and then it's the 15 second delay until the process repeats. youtube

    It's not as annoying as the frag grenades though

  • Mayhem64 #29 3 years ago

    The chainsaw doesn't drop when shot? Oh yes it bloody well does. Plus you can be taken out in one shot from the shotgun at close enough distance. It's happened to me a fair few times. Or are you going to say that the people in question have been cheating in some way? I might not be the best player about, but I've sunk scores of hours into multiplayer on this (both public and private) so I should hope I know what I'm talking about.

  • richyroo #30 3 years ago

    @mayhem

    Clearly you dont know what your talking about. fiery_jackass is correct. Ive lost count the number of times I have shot someone with the shotgun whilst they are running at me with the chainsaw, only for them to go right through it and chainsaw me.

  • DutchDemons #31 3 years ago

    Well, i have to agree with fiery et al. I've had this happen a lot as well. Whereas in gears 1 you could easily stun a chainsaw wielding enemy, now it apppears to be removed as an option. More likely it is caused by a connection related issue.

    I too was looking forward to this game a long time. and lost all interest after experiencing the MP. It's a shame Epic are responding so slowly to ALL these issues.

  • Calgon #32 3 years ago

    Ummmm never played it but I bet some are a bit sore about removing the exploit where you could roll with the shotgun to avoid damage, best not to build little exploits like that into your skillset because you'll be lost if they remove them. I did see a dev video explaining the stun animations they added to prevent people walking through damage too, so I know some of you dont know what you are talking about already, it's got to be a lag issue if you haven't noticed this tweak in GOW2(dont beleive it? get your ass over to gametrailers to watch that video and shut up telling other people they dont know what they are on about).
    Edited by 1 at 15/03/09 @ 17:16

  • Mayhem64 #33 3 years ago

    Funny then that the chainsaw HAS dropped for me when being shot... I can only relate what I've been through. But not always. Perhaps I should also make that point. Perhaps it depends how, where and with what you are being shot by... or maybe it is lag online.
    Edited by 1 at 15/03/09 @ 17:26

  • DutchDemons #34 3 years ago

    its defo lag. I have been on both ends with that lame chainsaw. I know i can just wield it and suck in an opponent. But because it's not the smartest thing having a chainsaw revved, up all the time, i don't often do it. Other folks are somehow addicted to it and keep on sucking me and others into their magical chainsaw without being stunned by (lancer!) bullets.

    Also, i read on a dutch forum that Epic removed some code from GoW2 that now makes it possible for lagswitchers to use their exploit, whereas in gears 1 that would lead to a connection error on the side of the perp.

  • darkphoenix #35 3 years ago

    Still no FIND QUICK MATCH/JOIN QUICK MATCH, then?
    fu*k Gears 2.
    Epic really blew it.