Battlefield 3 DLC resumes in June; three packs announced

EA and DICE announced three new DLC packs for Battlefield 3, with content starting to release in June.

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Whereas Call of Duty fans are paying for a year-long "season of content" with Modern Warfare 3, things have been quiet on the Battlefront side of things. The game's first expansion pack--Back to Karkand--came out in December and was available for free for everyone that purchased an early edition of the game. But, isn't it time for some new maps?

You'll get exactly that when Battlefield 3's next DLC arrives in June.

Close Quarters will be the second expansion pack for DICE's shooter, with one week exclusivity on PS3. But what can you expect from it? The infantry-focused add-on will expand the online mode with four new maps and ten more weapons. A first-look at the new content showed an indoor apartment environment and a penthouse suite. The close quarters gameplay did a great job of showing off Frostbite 2's destructive capabilities, as walls were quickly being torn apart by gunfire.

But that's not the only piece of DLC EA announced last night. There are two more expansion packs coming. ""Back to Karkand set the bar for what an expansion pack should be," DICE general manager Karl Magnus Troedsson said. "It's so much more than just a new map. We're trying to theme all our expansion packs."

Wheres Close Quarters will focus on tight infantry battles, the next add-on will focus on vehicular combat. "Armored Kill" will add new vehicles and boast the "biggest maps DICE has ever created... for a very Battlefield experience." It will be available in fall.

Finally, DICE announced "End Game." Unfortunately, that's all they're saying about the (seemingly) final piece of the Battlefield 3 post-release puzzle. "It's a secret right now," Troedsson teased. That pack will be available in winter.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 7, 2012 5:00 AM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Battlefield 3 DLC resumes in June; three packs announced.

    EA and DICE announced three new DLC packs for Battlefield 3, with content starting to release in June.

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 5:04 AM

      Closed quarters :(
      the least savoury part of BF3, cramped meat grinders, ugh, what brought me out of the game (together with insane unlock system), but the other big open vehicle map might be interesting.

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        March 7, 2012 5:26 AM

        the dlc unlock system really is a problem. while its not pay to win like in battlefield heroes it seems like an ea tradition to implement new overpowered weapons in the dlc/boosterpacks than can be used in the main program as well resulting in a huge advantage against anyone who falls of the dlc train.

        for example in battlefield2 it was certain guns/flashbang, in bf3 the dlc gives you 10 weapon amongst them utensils like the famas which like the m60 in bc2 had to be nerved because its plain too powerful.

        its also a game that lacks any balance to begin with with a huge randomness factor which is even reinforced y the stupid unlock progression. someone who starts late and buys/the game late starts with gear that is practically unusable.

        its a joke that you have to unlock the defibrillator as a medic, or flares in the vehicles.
        a buddy of mine didnt buy the game when it came out, we talked him into joining us later and he practically has to eat a bucket of shit to unlock a few half-decent weapons in the first few hours to remain competitive.

        he has practically given up getting in any vehicle because he will have any means to survive for any extended period.

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          March 7, 2012 6:15 AM

          yeah, its really biting them in the ass, I can't for the life of me figure out how they can think this *extremely* stretched unlock system is supposed to work ? for people like me, not having time to play for hours on end many days a week, its just like running into a brick wall, the amount of hours to unlock essential (for my play style) add-ons (mostly vehicles) is staggering.
          After a few weeks of playing, I just looked at my 'progression' and *blinked* not even one class fully unlocked, not even all gadgets for the tanks (which I played all the time) was unlocked. This angered me, its like they don't value my time and loyalty as a customer.
          If the game is good and balanced people will keep playing, unlocks is not keeping any people in the game if its broken, unbalanced or plain boring. Its like they didn't trust their own game.

          Fuck unlocks !!!!!!

        • reply
          March 7, 2012 6:23 AM

          Yeah I kind of agree. Even as someone who's put a few hours into the game, I try to get back into it then see the mountain of unlocks, and say ugh.

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          March 7, 2012 7:17 AM

          other than the FAMAS none of the DLC unlock weapons are particularly OP in my opinion.
          i also think most of the "starting" non unlock weapons are all viable...especially the M27...that thing is epic with grip and suppressor.

          I do agree that unlocking flares and defib was a stupid design choice though,as flares are pretty much essential due to the amount of lock on AA in the game,so any pilot without is screwed.

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            March 7, 2012 7:31 AM

            I think I've managed to get a chopper a handful of times, struggling with the controls I live about 10 seconds then crash horribly.
            Wonderful design decision, wonderful. And not allowing off-line (as in empty maps) training is also stupid.

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              March 7, 2012 7:58 AM

              yeh i find it strange there's no offline where you can practice flying helis and jets...as trying it on a server just results in people raging at you for crashing and being a noob pilot!

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                March 7, 2012 8:29 AM

                There is the co-op mission. You can run that one over and over again until you get the hang of flying the choppers.

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                March 7, 2012 8:30 AM

                there's lots of air only maps+ instant respawn servers where they don't give a crap.

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          March 7, 2012 7:30 AM

          arguably the most effective weapon in the game is the m16a3, the starter gun for assault US, though just as many prefer the m416, the first unlocked assault gun.

          its stupid though that the flares and shit are so high up, its redicioulous.

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        March 7, 2012 6:51 AM

        Big open vehicle maps are why I've never played a BF game until BF3.

        If you want to fly a plane, go play Ace Combat 6.

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          March 7, 2012 7:14 AM

          NO U.

          If you want tons of infantry only combat, go play Modern Warfare 3. Battlefield has always been about combined arms, vehicles and infantry working together.

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          March 7, 2012 7:32 AM

          its not about the planes, I only flown it one time I think, but its about vehicles and the combination of vehicles and infantry. If you want metro game-play, please choose COD.

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          March 7, 2012 9:54 AM

          lol.

        • reply
          March 7, 2012 10:21 AM

          Vehicle maps are the best.

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          March 7, 2012 10:22 AM

          lmao no. omg.

        • reply
          March 7, 2012 10:32 AM

          [deleted]

        • reply
          March 7, 2012 12:45 PM

          Want to play Squad Rush with me?

        • reply
          March 7, 2012 2:22 PM

          [deleted]

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 5:13 AM

      How much?

      • reply
        March 7, 2012 8:07 AM

        More than any of us want to pay, I'm sure.

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      March 7, 2012 5:15 AM

      Dammit, close-quarters combat is something this game doesn't need.

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        March 7, 2012 5:20 AM

        yah glad we are getting new maps, but sad its close quaters combat. Might be fine if it's better than Metro though.

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          March 7, 2012 5:30 AM

          i define karkand as close quarter combat that works, anything else will result grenade and rpg spam down doors and hallways like in other maps. it ends in a stalemate of 10 dudes camping a narrow choke every game.

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            March 7, 2012 5:35 AM

            Karkand will be amazing once the mav riding is taken out, sometimes you just can't play that map due to the insane amount of people rooftop humping.

            • reply
              March 7, 2012 7:15 AM

              meh, you can just drive around them and capture all the rear points and then they're fucked.

      • reply
        March 7, 2012 9:32 AM

        [deleted]

      • reply
        March 7, 2012 2:04 PM

        Yeah, I'll probably be skipping that one. They should release Armored Kill first.

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 6:29 AM

      Lol what happened to "patch in feb" gg dice. Diablos 3 will be out by then!

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 7:29 AM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 8:11 AM

      Hrm, content is always good but not sure if I will buy the close quarters DLC. I need more conquest maps.

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 8:13 AM

      EA is back at "Fuck EA" status.

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 8:14 AM

      hooray, more player-base fragmentation. good thing they learned from Road to Rome, Secret Weapons, Special Forces, Euro Force, Armored Fury, and BC2 Vietnam

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        March 7, 2012 8:56 AM

        dont see how it'll cause fragmentation? the metro players will likely still stick with metro spamfests after grinding to get the unlocks assuming they have map based requirements like the B2K ones...the "big maps" only guys will stick on their servers as they wont like the smaller maps...

        • reply
          March 7, 2012 10:15 AM

          No matter what, this will continue to have a significant impact on the fragmentation of the player base, UNLESS at release of this first pack they make karkand available to everyone for free, which if they continue to release expansion pack after expansion pack, would be a good idea.

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 8:23 AM

      June? That seems kind of far...

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      March 7, 2012 8:37 AM

      the only way I play Battlefield anymore is TDM, which makes the maps significantly smaller. I like close quarters fighting, they will have my money.

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        March 7, 2012 10:02 AM

        How can you play TDM? It's the least interesting mode in the game. SO fucking boring.

      • reply
        March 7, 2012 10:12 AM

        Sounds like you're playing the wrong franchise...

        • reply
          March 7, 2012 10:20 AM

          no kidding. run around with akimbo or a riot shield for the lulz. enemies will be constant.

      • reply
        March 7, 2012 1:31 PM

        I play TDM from time to time. I enjoy it more than I expected due to weapon handling and action. I wouldn't want to play that mode exclusively though. I mostly play large conquest and dabble in the other modes.

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 8:39 AM

      take my money

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 9:53 AM

      Closed Quarters? Sigh, though this will please the 64 player meat grinder (metro) crowd, sadly this caters mostly to the COD crew.

      BF never was about closed quarters combat.

      • reply
        March 7, 2012 11:03 AM

        ROFL if you go to the Close Quarters page is says "Players: 2-16", doubt they will scale for PC. 4 more metro maps coming right up!

      • reply
        March 7, 2012 12:07 PM

        I hate metro, but I absolutely love the infantry combat, ill play TDM when im bored and its pretty enjoyable even on 64 player crazy servers.

        I just avoid metro because of the pointless spam-choke its for people wanting to non-legit point up.

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 10:16 AM

      couldn't care less about closed quarters. those are my least favorite maps.

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 10:19 AM

      After about 90 hours I was just noticing yesterday i'd like more maps. Cool! I just hope that they make it cheap enough so the player base stays high.

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 10:34 AM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 10:58 AM

      I approve of this. I think the infantry combat in bf3 is the tightest of any FPS out there right now. its damn fun.

    • reply
      March 7, 2012 11:00 AM

      "Armored Kill" will add new vehicles and boast the "biggest maps DICE has ever created... for a very Battlefield experience."

      Who wants to bet there will be 6 flags all clustered together in the middle of every map?

      • reply
        March 7, 2012 12:24 PM

        I'd love to see a map with the flags all in a line. Can still cap any order, but at least the sensible attack route is one by one so you aren't constantly being flanked without them intentionally flanking you.

        • reply
          March 7, 2012 2:07 PM

          i'd love to see some maps with tf2 style point capping. bring the entire server into confrontation at one point, instead of recons trying to slip by and drop a spawn point, to cap random flags.

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