First Battlefield 3 details emerge

PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 shooter Battlefield 3 features improved visuals and what developer DICE describes as an "exponential leap" in destructibility.

Game engine Frostbite 2 has made Battlefield 3's existence possible, according to US magazine Game Informer.

"Armed with powerful upgrades like deferred rendering, real-time radiosity, a new animation system borrowed from the EA Sports label, and an exponential leap in destructibility, executive producer Patrick Bach dubs Frostbite 2 'the best piece of technology on the market when it comes to building games'" reads the website.

Other details revealed this morning: 64-player multiplayer on PC returns, jets make it in and you'll have the ability to go prone.

In October last year DICE went on the record to reassure PC gamers that their version of the game will be just as enjoyable as the console versions. Designer Alan Kerz acknowledged, "PC players have a fear that BF3 will be 'consolized'.

"PC players have their own set of requirements... Anything that feels like it might have been "ported" from a console is going to get flamed hard," he wrote. "It's a damn sight harder to please a PC player, they have higher expectations.

"Battlefield 3 needs an extra bit of special attention on the PC. I intend to give it that attention, tradition and our community demand it."

According to the first teaser trailer, below, Battlefield 3 will launch this autumn.