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'Battlefield 2143' easter egg hidden in Back to Karkand DLC
A couple of eagle-eyed Battlefield 3 players have spotted the above easter egg in the recent "Back to Karkand" DLC pack. It's just a stencil on a virtual wall, but of course the number "2143" (at least we're guessing that's the remains of a 4, and not a triangle) would hint at a followup to DICE's Battlefield 2142, the not-quite-as-successful futuristic spinoff of the Battlefield 1942 series. The Battlefield 3 Blog points out that a similar easter egg was hidden back in the Battlefield 2: Euro Force map pack back in 2006, and that egg was eventually the first sign of 2142's release later that year. Don't start hoping for a sequel just yet, however. While some fans would probably enjoy a return to the 2142 universe, odds are this is just DICE having a little fun, and reminding us that while many players might have forgotten about the futuristic spinoff already, DICE's own developers haven't just yet.
PSA: Battlefield 3's 'Back to Karkand' now on PC, Xbox 360
Battlefield 3's "Back to Karkand" has been deployed on PC and Xbox 360. The maps for the expansion were buried in a recent PC update, so the mouse and keyboard crew should be good to go. Xbox 360 users have a 2.07 gigglebyte update ahead of them, so that's something to get going on ASAP. The PS3 version was updated last week. "Back to Karkand" is free for those who picked up the "Limited Edition" version of BF3 at launch -- otherwise it's $15 (the standard for FPS map packs). The mega Xbox 360 download doesn't just add Karkand maps, however, as there's also a ginormous list of changes made to single player, multiplayer and Battlefield 3's general balance. Check it out after the break.
Battlefield 3's 'Back to Karkand' expansion arrives on PS3 Dec. 6, 360 and PC on Dec. 13
As promised, EA and DICE are delivering Battlefield 3's first expansion, "Back to Karkand," in December, though today we learned from the Battlefield blog that there's a specific date: December 6. Given that all of Battlefield 3's expansions will arrive one week early on PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 and PC versions of said DLC won't arrive until December 13. If you've missed the variety of videos showcasing Back to Karkand, the pack is composed of four maps from previous Battlefield games, all remade in Battlefield 3's "Frostbite 2.0" game engine. Put more simply: there will be a few more places to murder folks online, as well as a variety of new vehicles with which to do so. The pack will be free for folks who picked up the "Limited Edition" version of BF3 at launch, and will cost $15 for the have-nots.
You're gonna need an extra blowtorch for all the vehicles in Battlefield 3's 'Gulf of Oman' map
With the massive quantity of land and air vehicles being added to Battlefield 3's multiplayer in the "Gulf of Oman" map -- part of this December's "Back to Karkand" DLC pack -- we'd suggest packing two oversized engineer pockets full of blowtorches for all that repairing you'll be doing. Points!
Battlefield 3's 'Back to Karkand' expansion clearly has a problem with structures
In case you didn't believe DICE when the studio informed us that Battlefield 3's destruction engine would be more destruction-ey in the upcoming "Back to Karkand" expansion, the latest trailer should convince you. Just look at all that debris!
Travel Back to the future of Karkand with screens from Battlefield 3's first DLC
The first expansion pack for Battlefield 3, Back to Karkand, will launch in December and include four classic Battlefield maps -- Wake Island, Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman and Sharqi Penninsula -- and we can now see the remastery in some screens. Back to Karkand will feature 10 iconic Battlefield weapons, five new dog tags, five new achievements, three new vehicles and as much bloodshed as EA's servers can handle -- which may only be a few pints, depending on the position of your ports. %Gallery-137898%
Battlefield 3 expansions to arrive one week earlier on PS3
Not unlike Microsoft and Activision's agreement to give Xbox early access to Call of Duty DLC, Sony and EA have arranged for Battlefield 3 expansions to arrive with an exclusive lead on PlayStation 3. However, Battlefield 3's expansions will stay exclusive to the PS3 for a shorter period: one week per expansion. The deal kicks off with "Back to Karkand," which launches "later this year" and brings with it four Battlefield 2 maps (including Wake Island) rebuilt in the Frostbite 2.0 engine. The expansion comes free with first-run copies of Battlefield 3 for all platforms, though it now seems it won't be available for download immediately. The Battlefield 3 beta opens on PC (check the system requirements), PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 29.
Battlefield 3 'Physical Warfare' DLC will be free to all, pre-order exclusive is timed
Battlefield 3 fans: take a moment away from your planned day of filling out online petitions for this message from EA. The retailer-exclusive pre-order DLC announced for the UK will be available to everyone some time after release. It is only a timed exclusive -- like every piece of retailer-exclusive DLC that has ever been offered, ever. Even better, that timed-exclusive "Physical Warfare" pack will be free when it is given a wide release later this year. It'll also be a pre-order bonus "all over the globe," said DICE's Karl Magnus Troedsson. So it's just a matter of time. Nobody will have to miss out. We're guessing the free offer for non-pre-orderers is a response to the outrage, so good job! In other DLC news, the "Back to Karkand" expansion will also be free for pre-orderers, but will be released to everyone at the same time.
Battlefield 3's Back to Karkand pack features Wake Island, three more
DICE community manager Daniel Matros has posted on the Battlefield 3 forums that the "Back to Karkand" content pack (free on launch day with an in-box code, EA-style) will have four old Battlefield maps done up in the new Frostbite 2 engine: the original Wake Island, along with Battlefield 2's Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman, and the Sharqi Peninsula. That's right, Wake Island again, as if enough blood hasn't been shed on that little patch of ground. When a player asked if that's all of the retro maps returning to the game, Matros declined to "comment on any of that at the moment," which in community manager speak usually means something other than no, leaving a chance, however small, to get your Kubra Dam action on someday. But seriously, who's going to be bothering around with all of those old maps on launch day anyway? Gotta go find those new chokepoints, right? [Thanks, tengu_soldier!]
Battlefield 3 gameplay footage, 'Back to Karkand' DLC confirmed
You've been reading a lot about DICE's fancy Frostbite 2 engine, and now you get to see it in action in a slick new gameplay trailer for Battlefield 3. The footage apparently shows U.S. Marines engaging PLR forces (i.e. "the baddies") in Iraqi Kurdistan. The trailer also confirms the previously rumored "Back to Karkand" DLC, which comes included with all limited edition (first-run) copies of the game. The pack contains four Battlefield 2 maps that are "re-imagined" with Frostbyte 2's "physics, destruction and visuals" -- similar to what DICE did for older maps in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. For those who don't pick up the limited edition, you can expect Back to Karkand to become available for purchase sometime after Battlefield 3's launch this fall.
Rumor: Battlefield 3 Limited Edition to include 'Back to Karkand' DLC
Although EA has yet to officially detail the contents of the upcoming Battlefield 3 limited edition, this rather official-looking image has surfaced on Gamersmint. According to the poster, the LE version (all first-run copies of the game) will include "Back to Karkand" DLC "at no additional charge." The add-on includes four maps from Battlefield 2 "re-imagined with Frostbyte 2," the upcoming sequel's new engine, in addition to new Achievements/Trophies, unique rewards, and weapons from the previous title. Those that don't get the LE will be able to buy Karkand "approximately one month after the game's release." While these details aren't confirmed, they certainly fall in line with EA's many other "Project Ten Dollar" offerings. We're bound to find out exactly what EA has planned for the LE in "late February," according to the EA Store.
