In case you missed the news, Gears of War 2 will launch on Friday and there are over 20,000 Midnight Mayhem events slated to take place for it. Those taking part will open their doors at 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 7. Check your local retailer to see what they have in store.

Some of the bigger events taking place will be:

  • London: GAME at 64-66 Clarence Street, Kingston Upon Thames, KT1 1NP
    • “Gears of War” comic book artist Liam Sharp and Microsoft Game Studios staff will be on location to participate in the launch activities and give away “Gears of War 2” merchandise.
  • Los Angeles: GameStop at Universal City Walk, 1000 Universal Studios Blvd, Universal City, CA 91608
    • Xbox LIVE’s Major Nelson will MC the event, which will feature special appearances and autograph signings by Cliff Bleszinski of Epic Games. “Gears of War 2” voice actors including John DiMaggio (Marcus Fenix), Lester “Rasta” Speight (Augustus Cole) and Carlos Ferro (Dominic Santiago) will also be in attendance. Additionally, fans will have the unique opportunity to mug with a real life “Delta Squad” – costumed characters from Nightmare Armor Studios will be patrolling the GameStop, and tons of free “Gears of War 2” merchandise will be given away throughout the evening.
    • Please note that lineups will not begin before 11 a.m. PST.
  • New York: Best Buy, 622 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
    • Epic Games’ senior producer Rod Fergusson along with Epic Games team members will interact with the crowd and autograph copies of the game in addition to free “Gears of War 2” merchandise.
  • Bellevue: Best Buy, 457 120th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98005
    • “Gears of War 2” co-writer Joshua Ortega and Microsoft Game Studios staff will be on location to participate in the launch activities and give away “Gears of War 2” merchandise.

    Also, if you attend one of the Midnight Mayhem events in North America and buy the game, you will have the chance to receive an Xbox LIVE token for an exclusive in-game gold-plated Hammerburst for use in multiplayer. The tokens will be available while supplies last and they won't be available beyond launch night.