Gamescom 2012: Battlefield 3 Premium Edition Announced

At Gamescom, Electronic Arts and DICE announced Battlefield 3 Premium Edition for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. The new versions of EA’s flagship shooter that launched late last year is filled to the brim with all of the DLC that’s been (or will be) released for Battlefield 3, and will cost $69.99. The press release says that purchasing all the content individually would have cost “well over $100.”

The DLC content comes via a packed-in Battlefield 3 Premium membership, which will give players all five of the DLC packs EA has released for the game: “Back to Karkand,” “Close Quarters,” “Armored Kill,” “End Game,” and “Aftermath.” The premium edition also includes the “Multiplayer Head-Start Kit,” which automatically unlocks 15 weapons, gadgets, and vehicle upgrades, which is meant, it seems, to help try and even the playing field in online matches against veteran players. All of whom, I’m sure, are pretty pissed about this pack for all the Johnny-come-latelys.

Battlefield 3 executive producer Patrick Bach had this to say about the release:

“Since launch, over 15 million people worldwide have enjoyed the thrill of Battlefield, and with the release of Battlefield 3 Premium Edition the community is set to surge once again. Packing a ton of gameplay at an incredible price, there has never been a better time to jump in and see what all the fun is about. We look forward to seeing some new faces on the battlefield.”

The pack releases in North America on September 11, while European players will be able to buy it on September 13. In addition, PS3 players will have access to the digital content a week earlier than gamers on other platforms (for the packs that have yet to be released, I imagine).