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Gears of War 2 multiplayer facts: Shotgun still powerful, quit yer bitchin'

4:51 PM on 11.18.2008, Jim Sterling 26 comments

Gears of War 2 multiplayer facts: Shotgun still powerful, quit yer bitchin' photo
     Epic Games

At the same time as Epic was apologizing for Gears of War 2's multiplayer screw ups, some statistics were shared about how multiplayer is shaping up. If you're interested in meaningless numbers and percentages like I am, then you might want to know these.

It's interesting to note that, despite complaints about the shotgun being considerably weakened, it is still the most statistically lethal weapon in the game. With the amount of complaints you hear about the Lancer being too strong, it's quite fun to see that it's still not the most popular cause of death.

Here are the stats, in any case:

  • Almost 3 million multiplayer matches (excluding Private) have been played.
  • Almost 1 million screenshot photos have been uploaded to gearsofwar.com
  • The most popular multiplayer mode is Horde.
  • The most popular multiplayer map across all modes is River.
  • The most lethal weapon is the Gnasher shotgun with almost 29% of all kills.

The popularity of Horde doesn't surprise me, and it explains why it takes ten minutes for me to get a match started in that mode. The amount of matches being played on River also makes sense, since I tend to see that map more than most. I think it's because everyone knows where the Boomshot is on that one. 

Also, that's a lot of multiplayer matches being played.


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Dan CiTi's Avatar
Dan CiTi at 11/18/2008 16:57
Gears of War was never a balanced multiplayer game.
WarZombie's Avatar
WarZombie at 11/18/2008 17:05
I love it when stuff like this is released. This is pretty much just a cock slap to the face of anyone bitching.

I mean, even if the shotgun is "nerfed", it is still the weapon getting players the most kills. Nerfed or not, you can't argue with statistics. I hope this silences the people bitching, now I know how those other dudes felt when I bitched about the Magnum in Halo 2 being nerfed when compared to the Pistol in Halo: CE.
The Incredible Edible Egg's Avatar
The Incredible Edible Egg at 11/18/2008 17:05
I'd like to point out that the shotgun is a one-hit kill at point blank range, which is what a shotgun is supposed to do. It can still do a good deal of damage at a range if you're aiming, so stfuajpg.

In short, not enough zombies, going to play Left 4 Dead.
AngelsDontBurn's Avatar
AngelsDontBurn at 11/18/2008 17:06
I didn't understand that nerfed shotgun post anyway. It still feels very strong.

It's just not a BFG, but then again it IS a shotgun.
BluDesign's Avatar
BluDesign at 11/18/2008 17:11
I played some GOW the other day online... Felt the same as before to me. I don't see what the big dealie-o is.
Kyousuke Nanbu's Avatar
Kyousuke Nanbu at 11/18/2008 17:12
The thing with the shotgun is that the spread is different and the actives condenses that spread, its not like before where aiming anywhere could get you a kill, it can also headshot as well.

Horde is the best, you don't have deal with PvP bullshit and the people are generally a lot nicer, I love it, I doubt I'll ever venture into the PvP world.
Jordan Grim Devore's Avatar
Jordan Grim Devore at 11/18/2008 17:13
The shotgun plays differently from the first game, but that doesn't mean it sucks -- you just have to know how to use it.
Usedtabe's Avatar
Usedtabe at 11/18/2008 17:16
The shotgun is still very strong. The only problem with it (and the boomshot) is that when off-host, if you blind fire, no matter where you are looking on screen, the bullets will land at your feet. Now, it's annoying with the shotgun, as it can result in lost kills, but it's super ridiculous with the boomshot, as it just kills you instead of your intended target. Besides that and the black-hole invincible chainsaw, the game is awesome. Just need some real player matches(play with random people while cycling through maps unranked) and separated playlists for matchmaking.
mix's Avatar
mix at 11/18/2008 17:17
More like shitgun, amierite!

I want to play this game!
Dexter345's Avatar
Dexter345 at 11/18/2008 17:29
Now I'm curious to know what the percentage of kills with the shotgun were in Gears 1. I'm sure it's still so high mostly because it's a starting weapon, but I'd like to do an objective numerical analysis of the difference.
grafkhun's Avatar
grafkhun at 11/18/2008 18:17
I agree, the shotgun is not 100% consistent still, but the range was bumped up. You don't have to be point blank to get a kill and a point blank shot isn't always a kill... it's, different.
Atlas's Avatar
Atlas at 11/18/2008 18:43
Actually I noticed that the shotgun was stronger than Gears 1 shotgun, but far less effective since you cannot rush people when they shoot at you anymore.

Also I would bet a million dollars that people play horde more because it was the only gametype where the matchmaking actually worked! For some reason I could only get into Horde games...
TheNomadicTroll's Avatar
TheNomadicTroll at 11/18/2008 18:43
I still like how people keep saying that Gears 1 was nothing but a shotgun match. This was true until Epic brought out the lancer and hammer burst patch last spring, making the them more powerful.
Ke1nTrinkwasser's Avatar
Ke1nTrinkwasser at 11/18/2008 18:49
Breaking the shotgun broke the rest of the game, when you hit someone with the shotgun you're going to be at close range, however it does not stun the enemy like it did in the past, so when you're shooting someone point blank in with the shotgun and they don't die (because the shotgun only shoots fucking BBs) they're free to introduce you to the chainsaw at any moment because they're stun free. They could've made the other guns stronger, instead of listening to the crybabies bitching about the shotgun from the first one. Not that it all really matters since it takes half an hour to find a game anyway, but Epic really dropped the ball on this one.
Rosseh's Avatar
Rosseh at 11/18/2008 19:08
That's how I felt at first but all you have to do in that situation is get into the habit of firing the shotgun and then diving backwards, possibly turning and running also. It usually works because it does stun them, or at least lowers their chainsaw, for long enough to dive backwards and cheese it.

Saying it's broken is a defeatist attitude, you're trying to force the game to be played the way you want instead of playing the game how it was designed. If you meet an obstacle, take a step back, look for a new approach/strategy.

I just used my free month of gold up but now I have Left 4 Dead I don't have enough to renew my membership for the year. It's a dilema, L4D is so good and Gears is fun but pretty much the same as before.

I'm just going to have to quit life and play L4D for 12 hours followed by Gears for the next 12 hours. I don't need sleep, as long as i have GAMERFUEL! HADUKEN PIZZA FLAVOUR, or Mario Metaballs, or Samus Aran Fishsticks or whatever.
FrankDaTank14's Avatar
FrankDaTank14 at 11/18/2008 19:55
Just a guess here but I'm pretty sure that the shotgun has the most kills because you cannot get a kill with the lancer. The lancer downs the person and then you get an execution.
Charlietime's Avatar
Charlietime at 11/18/2008 19:57
Fire the shotgun at a wall in gears 2
it will make an X pattern with 8 bullets

fire a shotgun at a wall in gears 1
its just a random clusterfuck of bullets

that feels like the only difference to me
B-Radicate's Avatar
B-Radicate at 11/18/2008 21:14
God, I love this game more than I anticipated.
007's Avatar
007 at 11/18/2008 22:36
This game is perfect, guys. There's no such thing as "matchmaking difficulties." You can't even put the two words in the same sentence.
Orionsaint's Avatar
Orionsaint at 11/18/2008 22:57
Let's get one thing straight first. The feel of the shotgun has been changed. That's a fact. Aiming it is more difficult and circling an enemy and shooting him in the back is harder. You can fire the shotgun at someone 3 times and the shots go through them.

I'm not the only one saying this, I know some of the best shotgunners from Gears1. Who are saying the samething. Now all that being said. It is possible to relearn this new shotgun. It just takes practice. I'm already rolling and shotgunning, just like Gears1.
Orionsaint's Avatar
Orionsaint at 11/18/2008 23:04
I had shotgun killing in gears1 down to a science. What I think is main culprit of shotgun complaint, comes down to the now ridiculous stopping powering of the lancer and hammerburst. It's just too strong to get through and shotgun someone. Unless you side roll and shotgun, which is what I do to prevent this.
Corak's Avatar
Corak at 11/19/2008 12:40
Wow orionsaint are you the same guy posting in the other thread about this? About how they ruined it? Now you learned how to use it better and it isn't that bad? Interesting, very interesting.
Duke2071's Avatar
Duke2071 at 11/19/2008 15:29
These statistics aren't entirely true.... While the shotgun has the most kills, that’s because the majority of people execute with the shotgun cause it’s the fastest way. Also the stats on the Chainsaw and the Lancer are separate... so if you add those together (which they should because they are the same gun) then the Lancer has the most kills. Also, when you get someone down with the shotgun and pick them up as a meat shield it still counts that as a shotty kill.
JoeyPower's Avatar
JoeyPower at 05/10/2009 09:06
Well, where do I begin.. I've been on numerous websites just to voice my Gears 'shotty' opinion, despite it ain't going to change anything; I feel as though I oughta say something.
Firstly, I went on Gears this morning, and I got 12 shotgun kills: coz thats all I use. They've drastically reduced the blindfire accuracy of the shotgun and they have stopped you 'pop shotting' , forcing you to fully aim like a complete noob. I only got those 12 kills because there was no lag, but when there is lag, even a slight amount then the shotgun becomes practically useless. Shooting air at enemies isn't a fast way to kill. I don't think the fact that epic reduced the speed of the shotgun is such a bad thing, It makes you try to get it first time and benefits the game by how its played. Im just completely frustrated by the fact that the shotgun is now connection orientated, even half a second of shotgun lag can turn the tide of the battle. Especially since the damage is absolutely miniscule compared to Gears one. The shotgun is extremely random, as it was in the first Gears: but now the tiny damage of the shotgun always gets you gunned down by people with Hammer bursts, Lancers or Pistols. The stopping power makes a good introduction to Gears, but it is too extreme. At times making you run slower than Walking.
Title Update 2 supposedly altered the low latency of the shotgun, to high- which is basically how well it performs with the effects of lag. You see, I'm still heavily effected by lag, and the lack of power, even for the more accurate hits punishes you, time after time with exaggerated death. Please Epic, Help us.
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