Battlefield 3 goes Back to Karkand on PS3 Dec. 6

Battlefield 3 players can finally go Back to Karkand next week…on the PlayStation 3, at least. Electronic Arts has confirmed a December 6 PS3 debut for the Back to Karkand expansion pack, with the add-on to be made available for Xbox 360 and PC players on December 13.

Highlighting the Back to Karkand map pack are four playfields from Battlefield 2 that have been updated with developer DICE's new Frostbite 2 engine: Strike at Karkand, Wake Island, Gulf of Oman, and Sharqi Peninsula. Gamers will also find the return of Battlefield 2's Conquest Assault mode, three new vehicles, 10 new weapons, new achievements/trophies, and more.

The disparity in release dates is the result of a deal EA struck with Sony that would see all Battlefield 3 add-on content given a one-week head start on the PS3. That exclusivity window was explained as a substitute enticement for PS3 players when EA tried to renege on its promise of giving away Battlefield 1943 copies to those who purchased Battlefield 3 on Sony's system. However, after a class-action lawsuit was filed, EA pulled another about-face and said it would honor the original deal after all.

For more on DICE's latest shooter, check out GameSpot's review of Battlefield 3.