Midway has confirmed that the long-awaited Xbox 360 edition of Epic Games’ Unreal Tournament III will hit stores shelves on July 7.

The title was previously slated for a release this July, so we’re glad it has a firm date now. Additionally, the release Midway sent out today confirms that UT III 360 will feature an exclusive video preview of Gears 2 on the disc. Epic is promising that the video will include “never-before-seen footage of the game’s multiplayer modes featuring new maps, new modes, new weapons and new gameplay elements.”

Midway and Epic Games Announce Unreal Tournament 3 Available July 7, 2008

Xbox 360 Version of Highly Anticipated and Award-Winning Franchise has New Features, Exclusive Content and Gears of War 2 Multiplayer Video.

CHICAGO – June 12, 2008 – Midway Games Inc. (NYSE:MWY), a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, and world renowned developer Epic Games, today announced Unreal Tournament 3, for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, is scheduled to be available on July 7, 2008, with several new features including split screen, five exclusive maps and two all-new characters, as well as all previously released downloadable content. Unreal Tournament 3, the award-winning first-person-shooter, has already shipped more than 1 million units for the PC and PLAYSTATION®3 systems.

In addition, the game will feature an exclusive video preview of Gears of War 2, the eagerly anticipated sequel to the 4.7-million-unit selling blockbuster third-person action game. The exclusive video content will include never-before-seen footage of the game’s multiplayer modes featuring new maps, new modes, new weapons and new gameplay elements. The video is narrated by design director, Cliff Bleszinski, and producer, Rod Fergusson.

“Unreal Tournament 3 for the Xbox 360 delivers fans the award-winning gameplay of UT3, complete with exciting exclusive content that will make it a must-have title for the Xbox 360” said Mona Hamilton, vice president of marketing, Midway.

“We’re very excited to be shipping Unreal Tournament 3 for Xbox 360,” said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games, Inc. “This is a great title and, with two-player split screen support and some very cool new content, Xbox 360 players should be thrilled with this fantastic version of the game.”

Follow this author on Twitter.