Gears of War 3 release date announced

Epic and Microsoft have finally announced a firm release date for Gears of War 3, setting the European and American launch date as September 20, 2011.

The release date was tweeted by Microsoft's Graeme Boyd, then immediately confirmed by an official announcement.

Japan, meanwhile, will see a two-day delay, getting Gears of War 3 on 22nd September.

Gears of War was delayed from the original April 2011 release date back in October last year, though Epic and Microsoft said that the delay was not at all related to quality concerns or problems with the development. Rather, it seems that Microsoft just had a different launch window in mind.

Gears of War 3 will continue the story of Marcus, Baird, Dom and Co. versus the Locust invasion, with major new additions being four-player campaign co-op, new multiplayer modes and dedicated multiplayer servers.

It's an Xbox 360 exclusive, naturally.

Check out our review of Gears of War 2 for more information on the series, then let us know your thoughts in the forums.