'Gears of War 3' beta falls to public vote

(All rights reserved - Microsoft Game Studios / Epic Games)

The Gears of War 3 public testing phase will begin in April and fans have the chance to vote on which maps will be part of the multiplayer experience - but they'd better be quick, as the Facebook poll closes on Feburary 28.

Voters can choose between four maps: Overpass, Old Town, Mercy This and Trenches.

The two most popular will be joined by another two maps chosen by the development team at Epic Games.

Priority access to the beta is given to owners of the Bulletstorm Epic Edition, with details on additional beta keys to be provided by Epic at a later date.

Gears of War 3 is set for a September 20 launch, a week after iD Software's new title RAGE, and on the cusp of a busy year-end that will see release dates for Batman: Arkham City, Battlefield 3, and a new Call of Duty game among others.

Vote for a Gears of War 3 beta map at http://www.facebook.com/gearsofwar.