Epic Games has released the sixth title update for Gears of War 2, and in addition to fixes, improvements and balance changes (listed below), this new patch adds a feature called Social Matches for public multiplayer matches.

This feature allows players to jump in and out of games without disruptions (including Horde mode matches), while social matchmaking allows your entire party to join a match already in progress, or start a new match together.

Social matchmaking, specifically, is only open to players who own all four of Gears of War 2’s downloadable map packs, which are available altogether in one package (in the “All Fronts Collection” for the discounted price of 800 MS Points) or individually.

In celebration of this latest Gears of War 2 title update, Epic and Microsoft will be running a Triple Experience Weekend on Xbox LIVE starting on May 27th at 2 PM GMT (tomorrow, Thursday) until June 1st at 2PM GMT (Tuesday next week). During this time, you’ll be able to earn triple experience in any Gears of War 2 multiplayer mode while playing online.

For your enjoyment, please find the list of improvements/fixes/balance changes made with Gears of War 2’s Title Update 6 below (not limited to map pack owners):

Improvements

Title Update 6 makes these new improvements:

• Adds a new public multiplayer match option called Social Xbox LIVE (aka player matches), open to anyone who owns all downloadable maps (that is, All Fronts Collection).
  • You can join Social Matches in progress and can quit any time without penalty, although players who quit early don’t receive earned experience (XP).
  • Social matchmaking lets your party join a match in progress. If a match is not found, your party hosts a new match, filling any empty player slots with bots.
  • Social Matches automatically cycle to the next map without further matchmaking.
  • Teams are rebalanced between matches based on XP level without splitting parties.
  • If you quit, your spot is taken by a bot until a new player joins the match. That new player can join while the match is in progress.
  • If you join a match in progress, you are assigned a team based on XP level and party size.
  • If you join a match in progress, you replace a bot at the earliest opportunity: at the first bot’s death for respawning game types (for example, Annex) and at round completion for Warzone, Execution, and Wingman.
  • Social leaderboards become part of the War Journal.
• Renames Public Matches to Ranked Xbox LIVE Matches to differentiate these from Social Xbox LIVE Matches, and adds some improvements to these matches.
  • Improved host selection using bandwidth testing and previous hosting data has been added.
  • Before the match begins, teams are balanced based on XP without splitting parties.
• Renames Private Matches to Custom Xbox LIVE Matches and makes these matches invite-only.
• Adds the ability to join Horde sessions that are in progress.
  • In Social Horde, you can join a session in progress through matchmaking.
  • In Ranked Horde, you can join a session in progress only through invites.
  • If you join a session in progress, at the end of the session you receive the score you achieved during the time you spent in the session.
• Improves the precision of weapon selection using the D-pad.
• Improves client-side hit detection for ballistic weapons.

Exploit Fixes

Title Update 6 fixes these possible exploits, where under certain circumstances:

• Execution rules could be ignored when using certain weapon types.
• On the Subway map, you could get outside of the playable environment by sliding into cover and rolling between a train car and the side of tracks.
• On the Blood Drive map, you could get outside of the playable environment in various locations.
• Players could grief other players on Submission, Annex, King of the Hill, and Guardian games by preventing the objective from being completed while racking up points. Title Update 6 adds match time limits to each of these game types to prevent this practice.

General Fixes

Title Update 6 fixes these other issues as well:

• An issue that could cause your profile to be overwritten, erasing XP, level, and achievement progress.
• An issue that could cause a campaign save slot to be overwritten if you previously chose to continue without saving and then signed in.

Balancing

Title Update 6 makes these balancing changes:

• Changes the Gnasher Shotgun pellet pattern to increase hit consistency.
• Changes the Guardian game type to select the leader based upon XP level (highest to lowest).