Battlefield 3

EA and DICE have confirmed earlier reports that Battlefield 3 would be getting its own version of Call of Duty Elite, announcing Battlefield 3 Premium onstage at the publisher’s E3 press conference.

As reported in the initial leak, Premium will include early access to all of the game’s upcoming expansion packs, as well as exclusive dog tags, new social content, and more. In addition to the already released Back to Karkand, Premium players will be able to get their hands on four future expansions two weeks before anyone else.

First up is the Close Quarters, an expansion that emphasizes close range gun-on-gun combat. Next is Armored Kill, a vehicle-heavy expansion, followed by Aftermath, a series of maps set in the streets of Tehran following a devastating earthquake. Finally, there’s End Game, which will introduce motorcycles into the game’s already crowded slate of vehicles.

The entire package will set you back $49.99, just as anticipated.

The biggest surprise? The timing. Battlefield 3 Premium is available for purchase immediately, and PlayStation 3 owners will be able to start playing the Close Quarters content today, with a PC and Xbox 360 launch slated to follow next week.