Even though we’re still waiting for the officially official announcement from Epic, reports regarding Gears of War 3’s gameplay and mission details have already begun to surface, with talk of underwater missions, new additions to gameplay that will change the series’ cover mechanic, and a mech suit.

These details come from Edge Online, so they’re not to be sneezed at, and were provided by a mysterious ‘US publishing source’ – the same source who let the word out that Gears of War 3 would release in April of 2011.

According to the source, the Locust enemies now have a new unit with tentacle-like appendages, which it’s able to use to uncover a player’s hiding spot while in cover, so even if you think you’re safe behind a waist-high wall, you’ll need to think about the possibility of getting attacked by this new enemy.

Gears of War 3 will also reportedly include a heavy duty mech suit that COG soldiers will be able to take full advantage of, as it provides protection to users while also giving access to effective Locust-destroying capabilities.

In addition, players will be able to use a new type of explosive that travels underground to attack enemies wherever they might be, regardless of cover.

Lastly, a number of new locations may be introduced in Gears of War 3, including jungle-like, foliage-heavy areas, as well as underwater locations.

According to Edge, all of the gameplay features in the singleplayer campaign will show up in the multiplayer modes as well.

As stated, this is all rumour for now, but with a new game announcement due due by Epic’s Cliff Bleszinski on Monday (via an appearance on the Late Night With Jimmy Fallon show), depending on whether or not the reveal has to do with Gears of War 3, these rumours may well turn out to become fact.

Source: Edge-Online