Microsoft, Epic Announce Global Gears Tournament

Microsoft and Epic Games have announced the first Gears of War Xbox Live tournament, with winners receiving a three day trip to Prague for competition in a global grand final. Tournament players from around the world will compete in ranked matches on Xbox Live for four weeks of leaderboard play, with the top 11 finalists receiving the grand prize, a trip to Prague for the final - a city the companies say inspired the game's 'destroyed beauty' imagery - with full accommodations and a $200 Visa gift card. In addition, the top four ranked players from each country will also receive a trip to Prague for the 2007 World Cyber Games National Championship event, and the company will also be giving away multiple Xbox 360 consoles, copies of Viva Piñata, Project Gotham Racing 3, Xbox LIVE Arcade Unplugged Volume 1 and Kameo, year-long Xbox Live subscriptions, and custom Gears of War faceplates. Registration for the tournament begins March 29 and continues through April 29 at the official tournament site, with the official competition to take place between April 9 and May 6. Said Gears of War producer Cliff Bleszinski, "We are thrilled to offer the chance for gamers across the world to come together and share the glories of blowing apart someone into little chunks. May the best man, or Locust, win."