Epic rolls out Gears of War 2 Title Update 6

This time around the update includes a new public multiplayer feature called Social Matches. This feature allows players to jump in and out of matches without disruption or penalty - even Horde matches. Social matchmaking will also allow your party to join a match that's already in progress, and it will start a new match if there are no suitable matches available.

There is a condition, however; you must own all four downloadable map packs in order to make use of the new Social Matches feature. However, coinciding with the new Title Update 6, Microsoft has discounted the All Fronts Collection (which includes all map packs) to 800 Microsoft Points. The map packs are also included in the Game of the Year edition of Gears of War 2, which retails for $59.95.

Title Update 6 also contains general fixes, improvements and changes to the game's balancing.

To further promote the title update, Epic has also announced a Triple Experience Weekend starting at 1 am New Zealand time on Friday, May 28th. Players will be awarded three times the experience points for participation in any Gears of War 2 multiplayer mode until 1 am on Wednesday, June 2nd.

The update comes some 18 months after the release of Gears of War 2. From launch, fans were largely disappointed with the game's multiplayer implementation. The chief complaint pertained to the game's poor matchmaking that could leave players waiting upwards of 20 minutes to find a game.