The third update to Gears of War 2 is due this month, with a new map pack (Snowblind) to accompany it shortly after, according to an article by Gamespot. The update will offer a new ranking system, as well as a new auto-balance system, and will be entirely free. The Snowblind map pack will feature four new maps: Grindyard, Under Hill, Courtyard, and a remake of Fuel Depot from the original game, but will not be free. No price has been announced for it yet either.
The new ranking system will reward people experience points for playing in public matches, and enable them to achieve "levels", all the way up to 100. Upon reaching different levels, the players can unlock achievements, although some of these are dependant on the player getting certain achievements in the Snowblind content pack.
The new auto-balance system will penalize players who quit mid-game, by deducting experience points, and will bring in bots to replace them.
The five achievement levels are: Rookie Gear, Seasoned Gear, Battle-Tested Gear, Battle-Hardened Gear and Veteran Gear, achieved at levels 5, 15, 25, 50 and 100 respectively. The update is due out on Tuesday 24 March, with the map pack coming out a week later, on Tuesday 31 March.