Monday brought reports that exclusive access to the Battlefield 4 beta would be offered to gamers who pre-ordered Medal of Honor: Warfighter Limited Edition (or Digital Deluxe) from EA's Origin platform before the game's launch on October 23. The listing was pulled for unknown reasons as word of the beta began to spread -- possibly launched before EA could make a formal announcement. But now the beta offering is back along with confirmation from EA that it's the real deal.
The big question we have to ask is why? After all, Battlefield 3 isn't even a year old, having launched in October 25, 2011, here in the States. It hasn't matured to the point that gamers are ready for a new Battlefield installment. As some of our readers have pointed out, it seems as if EA is just milking the franchise, but the company is reassuring fans that Battlefield 3's story "is still just beginning."
"Even with billions of bullets fired and millions of games played, we know the Battlefield 3 story is still just the beginning," the open letter reads. "As ever, we are humbled by the community's response to the game, and couldn't be happier with the feedback we have received to Battlefield 3 Premium. With the Back to Karkand and Close Quarters expansion packs already out, Armored Kill around the corner, and End Game and Aftermath still on the horizon, we're looking forward to many more hours of gameplay with you, and can't wait to see the stories you will tell through Battlelog and player created videos."
In a separate press release distributed on Tuesday, EA said that the exclusive Battlefield 4 beta will be available in Fall 2013, and that additional details regarding Battlefield 4 will be revealed at a later date. "We’re not ready to talk about Battlefield 4 yet - in the meantime, we hope you will continue to enjoy Battlefield 3 and all the Battlefield 3 Premium content still to come," the company said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, EA talks up the "ground-breaking" Frostbite 2 engine which reportedly "breaks the multiplayer mold," and the upcoming release of Medal of Honor Warfighter. EA calls it the most authentic shooter of the holiday season, putting gamers in the boots of the world's most aggressive, precise and disciplined warfighters who fight battles that are ripped from headlines around the globe. The story was written by U.S. Tier 1 Operators while deployed overseas, inspired by real warriors, real operations and real places.
"From rescuing hostages in Abu Sayyaf's stronghold in the Philippines to assaulting Al-Shabaab's "Pirate Town" on the Somali Coast, Medal of Honor Warfighter puts players in the boots of today's most highly trained and skilled warriors to experience missions that have a dotted line to real world terrorist threats. Medal of Honor Warfighter features real world hotspots in the single player campaign and introduces international Tier 1 Operators from 10 different nations in multiplayer allowing players to show their national pride online," EA said on Tuesday.
For more information about Medal of Honor Warfighter, head here. To get your guaranteed spot in the Battlefield 4 beta, reserve your copy of Warfighter Limited Edition or Warfighter Digital Deluxe here.
