Epic Games stalwart  Cliff Bleszinski  has recently confirmed a major improvement in the multiplayer aspect of Gears of War 2. He says there will no longer be a host advantage with the shotgun which irked a lot of players in the original's heyday.

In response to a Gamepro question on the shotgun advantage, Cliffy B. replied:

People loved it [multiplayer] but they didn't like the host advantage. They got tired of the shotgun inconsistencies. We're fixing all of that. They didn't like the randomness of the chainsaw, so we put the chainsaw duel in -- may the best man win!

There you have it. Looks like the playing field will be more level when this anticipated sequel arrives. We say cheers and bring on the flamethrowers!