For the full list of beta unlockables, check out the Gears of War 3 beta breakdown. These items include the Flaming Gnasher Shotgun, a Gold-Plated Retro Lancer, a Thrashball Cole character variant, and others. Gamers who play the Gears of War 3 beta will earn exclusive content that will be transferred to retail copies when the game launches this fall. The Gears of War 3 multiplayer trial will last three weeks and will be curb-stomped on May 15.
Over the course of the beta, two additional game modes-Capture the Leader and King of the Hill-will be added. Gamers who reserve online will be e-mailed a download key redeemable via Xbox Live, and those who preorder in-store will be handed the token. The beta will become available to the rest of the community beginning April 25 via preorder at specialty retailer GameStop. They will have access to the game's Team Deathmatch mode playable on four maps: Thrashball, Checkout, Trenches, and Old Town. Owners of the Epic Edition of the warmly received Bulletstorm can enter the multiplayer beta for Gears of War 3 beginning on April 18. Now, gamers have a definitive date to circle on their calendars. Later, it was revealed the start date for the trial would be sometime in April.
In December, Epic Games announced it would bundle access to the Gears of War 3 beta in Epic Edition copies of People Can Fly's Bulletstorm.