Battlefield 3: Close Quarters out in June, first of three add-ons
Consoles to get dedicated servers via rent-a-server programme.
Battlefield 3 is to get three themed downloadable expansions, starting in June. Like first add-on Back to Karkand, they will offer new weapons and in some cases vehicles to be used across the entire game, as well as new multiplayer maps.
In addition, console players are to get a rent-a-server programme that will allow them to run dedicated game servers customised to their own rules and preferences, just like their PC brethren. This is a first for any console shooter.
June's add-on pack is called Close Quarters and it's focused on up-close-and-personal indoor infantry combat with verticality to the map designs. It will be released one week early on PS3, and includes 10 new weapons and four new maps.
It's described as "hectic and intense". The map demonstrated at EA's GDC event was the interior of a swish-looking office block called Ziba Tower, with lots of glass to shatter.
The following add-on will be called Armored Kill. With a focus on tank combat, it will offer the Battlefield series' biggest map ever and one new drivable vehicle for use in the third game. It has no release date yet.
The final add-on will be End Game, about which nothing is known, and which is apparently still a closely guarded secret within developer DICE.
We'll have more info on Close Quarters soon.