Electronics Arts released their own Gears of War-esque title back in 2008, titled Army of Two. It didn't deliver on what it was supposed to deliver, but it still was a fun and pretty game, despite its flaws. It even earned a sequel that released early last year, although that also didn't fully hit the mark.

We always thought that if they made a sequel it would be called Army of Four and that it would expand on the game's key feature: co-op gameplay, but it didn't happen then. According to a new rumor, EA aims to make it happen with the third installment in the franchise.

Kotaku has the scoop from an inside source who claims that EA is developing a sequel to Army of Two: The 40th Day that would add 4-player co-op. Like the first two titles, Army of Four is allegedly being developed at EA Montreal but the source claims it's "not going well" and there's speculation that since Battlefield 3 is now out, DICE would be helping out.

Army of Four apparently makes use of the Frostbite 2 engine that makes Battlefield 3 look as pretty as it does, so DICE pitching in makes sense. The previous games both made use of the Unreal 3 engine.

The series puts players in the shoes of a pair (now a quad) of mercenaries for third-person combat similar to that of the Gears of War series. Players could however, customize armor and weapons, while unlocking additional weapons and armor as they gain cash.

EA Montreal hasn't worked on anything since the Army of Two sequel outside of an expansion for The Sims 3 so it's not hard to believe they've been working away on continuing the series, especially since they had job postings up on the EA site back in April that hinted at development of another Army of Two. Visceral Games, the devs behind Dead Space, have a division in EA Montreal and are involved in development.

EA holds their key franchises close and just like Mirror's Edge, it's not surprising to see another installment using their prized practically-next-gen Frostbite 2 engine. With another Medal of Honor and an eventual Battlefield 4 on the way, if the the Army of Four rumor turns out to be true, it's likely to be revealed at E3 next summer, if not, sooner. Maybe even the Spike VGAs in just over a week?

What would you like to see changed/added for Army of Four?

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Source: Kotaku