Gears of War: Judgment preorders get in-game weapon

Gamers gearing up for Gears of War: Judgment who preorder the upcoming shooter will receive an "exclusive" in-game multiplayer weapon, Microsoft has announced. This gun is the "Classic Hammerbust," which appeared in the first Gears of War as a Locust assault rifle.

Additionally, players who reserve Gears of War: Judgment will receive bonuses depending on which retailer they visit. A full list of participating retailers will be published in the coming weeks, but Microsoft said multiplayer character skins will be up for grabs. These include Young Marcus, Young Dom, Anya (at right), and Alex Brand.

Gears of War: Judgment is due out exclusively on Xbox 360 March 19, 2013 and is the first entry in the series since last year's trilogy-capping Gears of War 3. Developed by Epic Games in conjunction with Bulletstorm studio People Can Fly, the project focuses on series soldier Damon Baird and will not use the Kinect.

For more on Gears of War: Judgment, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.