We recently revealed some information on the upcoming Gears of War 3 Beta.  Today, Epic Games announced the date the Beta goes live along with some more interesting details.

The Gears of War 3 Beta will launch April 25th.  The Beta is scheduled to run until May 15th.

A pre-order of the game at local retailers will grant players a spot in Beta.  Players who also purchased a copy of the Epic Edition of Bulletstorm will get early access to the Beta April 18th.

Players will get three modes of gameplay spread out on four maps.  The modes will be Team Deathmatch, Capture the Leader and King of the Hill.  Team Deathmatch will be playable at the start of the Beta while Capture the Leader and King of the Hill will become available during the Beta period.  The four playable maps will be Thrashball, Checkout, Trenches and Old Town.

Access to the Beta will also include several exclusive Beta unlockables.  Here is a list of the unlockable content and how to unlock it:

Flaming Hammerburst
Complete one match by Sunday, April 24 to permanently unlock.

Flaming Lancer
Complete one match during the week of April 25 to permanently unlock.

Flaming Sawed-Off Shotgun
Complete one match during the week of May 2 to permanently unlock.

Flaming Gnasher Shotgun
Complete one match during the week of May 9 to permanently unlock.

Beta Tester Medal
Complete one match in the Beta to permanently unlock.

Thrashball Cole
Complete 50 matches in any game type to unlock for the Beta period.  To permanently unlock, complete 10 matches as Thrashball Cole during the Beta period.

Gold-Plated Retro Lancer
Complete 90 matches in any game type to unlock for the Beta period.  To permanently unlock, score 100 kills with the Gold-Plated Retro Lancer during the Beta period.