The story takes place eighteen months after the events of Gears of War 2 and the loss of the human stronghold of Jacinto. Marcus, Baird, Dom and company continue their fight to save human civilization, as they battle the Locust and face new threats from within the planet throughout the campaign mode.

Epic Games  invites you to recruit your friends for duty when the “Never Fight Alone” beta phase for “Gears of War 3” kicks off on May 8.

Starting today, everyone who’s played at least one game in the beta will have a chance to receive a “buddy token” to share with a friend on Xbox LIVE, giving them access to the “Gears of War 3” beta.

In the U.S., beta participants can earn extra buddy tokens by completing the following tasks or challenges (one token for each task), with a chance to earn up to five tokens total:

• Purchase any “Gears of War” content from Xbox Live Marketplace (including a “Gears of War” Game Add-on, a “Gears of War” Games on Demand title, or a “Gears of War” Avatar item)
• Play 20 or more hours of the “Gears of War 3” beta (any time already spent in the beta will count toward this challenge)
• Add a 12-month Xbox Live Gold subscription to your existing account (purchased from retail or online)
• Play more than 100 hours of any “Gears of War” title, lifetime to date

Players will have until this Wednesday, May 4 to complete the challenges and earn extra buddy tokens. The Xbox Live team at Microsoft will automatically keep track of everyone’s progress, so players won’t need to take any additional action to retrieve their tokens. The buddy tokens will be distributed via e-mail starting May 8 when the “Never Fight Alone” phase begins, giving beta participants and their friends a full week to enjoy the multiplayer mayhem together.

New players entering the beta on May 8 will have a chance to cross chainsaws with their buddies in three new “Gears of War 3” competitive modes (Team Deathmatch, Capture the Leader and King of the Hill) on four stunning multiplayer maps (Thrashball, Checkout, Trenches and Old Town). Additionally, beta recruits can unlock an array of exciting content such as exclusive medals, weapon skins and character variants like the fan-favorite Thrashball Cole, which they can carry over to their retail copy of “Gears of War 3” when it launches.

Key Features:

• An enthralling cinematic story that captivates players in an intimately intense action game
• Five-on-five multiplayer experience as well as four player campaign co-op experience
• New multiplayer game modes including "Beast Mode" – offering a new twist to the game where you take on the role of the locust horde and their assorted variations!
• New maps including: Trenches which features an impressive sand storm that reduces your visibility, as well as Overpass, Mercy, Checkout, and Thrashball
• New weapons including: The Bayonet Charge, The Retro Lancer, The Sawed-off Shotgun, The OneShot – a heavy sniper rifle that shoots through shields or cover for a surprise one shot kill, The Incendiary Grenade, The Digger Launcher and a few subtle tweaks to old favorites Hammerburst and The Classic Lancer. Don't forget that each weapon now has its own execution move!
  Stay tuned for more updates, and keep your eyes peeled for more news on the Official Multiplayer Public Beta coming soon!