Look at those two up there!  The Locust and Gears clans, joining together finally for peace and happiness between the two factions.  Happy at last after years of fighting and confrontations, sharing their territory with each other finally.  I want you to take away the chainsaws, or better yet, imagine that those two chainsaws are essentially candles.  Symbolic candles, like those you would see in a wedding ceremony that are used to show the joining of two families coming together.  Wait? What’s that?  Oh, there is going to be double XP weekend and whoever wins this fight gets 500 bonus XP? SHIT! Kill ‘em ALL!

Taking a gander over at the testosterone filled Gears of War 2 forums lets you know all of the ingredients needed to make a Gears man.  What is needed to make a Gears man you ask?  Why, its bulging sweaty biceps, back hair, stubble, a soul patch of hair under the bottom lip, and quite possibly a do-rag (optional).  You will also find a few chatty characters in the Gears forums as well, probably complaining.  Deep inside the forums is a post laying the groundwork for a very busy Labor Day weekend for US celebrators.  It’s time for another double XP extravaganza hosted by Epic Games.

Starting this Friday morning the switch will be turned on and you’ll be able to get double XP in both online multiplayer, as well as through Horde mode.  Ramp up the difficulty to Hardcore Mode, and you’ll see your XP double as well as your ego (similar to bumping up in the Double Insane Mode).  This XP event is to celebrate the long holiday weekend, as well as let everyone know that the Game of the Year Edition Gears of War 2 is popping up on store shelves next week.  Hit the battlefield online around 5 to 7pm (ET) on Friday and you’ll be gaming with the developers from Epic Games.

Also included in the weekend event, is a 500XP bonus for the winning team in online public multiplayer.  Great!  Now I get to hear all sorts of 13 year old kids celebrating with their little buddies and yelling out through their braces just how much I suck.  That’s cool though, I’ll mostly be on the Horde side of things killing wave after wave of Sires with my chainsaw.  These screaming manufactured beasts will now be put into the gap left behind by all of the Tickers from the 4th of July celebration, essentially popping up every 10th wave.

Hit up my Xbox Live gamertag in the About Us section of Loot Ninja, and look for me online this weekend playing Gears of War 2 and leveling up!

[via Gears of War 2 forum]