EA Confirms Battlefield Premium Service - Details Next Week

Just less than a year after DICE proudly exclaimed that its Battlefield 3 Battle Log service would be "100% free", Electronic Arts goes and confirms that players will have to pay for some of the game's online services. It's called Battlefield Premium, and the one-off fee will include "powerful new features" to enhance matchmaking and server play.

Details of the service were posted briefly on the EU PlayStation Blog, before a fact sheet appeared on NeoGAF outlining more features. EA later held its hands up when quizzed by Joystiq.

Battlefield Premium will apparently cost $50 and include access to the five announced Battlefield 3 DLC add-ons plus two weeks of early access to new DLC and unique items. Server queue priority and the option to reset stats, among other subscription-like features, will also be present.

"Looks like the excitement for Battlefield Premium cannot be contained. For details, please visit Battlefield.com on June 4," read the confirmation.

Of course, we knew Battlefield Premium was coming - EA Games president Patrick Soderlund already confirmed it back in March - but the turnaround in the face of competing online service Call of Duty Elite is most interesting. More info will be coming on June 4th.