An early playable version of Gears of War 3 leaked onto the internet back in July. Since then, Microsoft and Epic have attempted to uncover how it happened. However, one ongoing menace continues to threaten Epic and fans of the series – spoilers. Epic claims they have the technology to track down anyone who spoils the game and ban them from playing it upon release.

Speaking with Eurogamer, executive producer Rod Fergusson said, "We have a banning system built into our stuff so we can go in and identify certain people. Some people aren't smart about what they do. They'll be disappointed on 20th September when they can't get in and can't play. They may be banned."

After the early build’s leak, Epic ensured fans that the pirated video footage didn’t represent the polish of the final version.

"If you don't value this community, you don't value this experience, then we don't value you,” said Fergusson. “I'd rather pick that one bad apple out of the pool so everybody else can have a better time."

Gears of War 3 hits Xbox 360 on September 20.