Battlefield 4 beta kicks off in October

A multiplayer beta for Battlefield 4 will launch in early October ahead of the game's release, developer DICE announced today during the Electronic Arts Gamescom briefing in Cologne, Germany.

CEO Karl-Magnus Troedsson announced the news. The beta will be made available first to Battlefield 3 Premium owners, those who preordered the Battlefield 4 Digital Deluxe version, and owners of Medal of Honor: Warfighter .

Three days later, the beta will be available for all players worldwide. It will feature the Siege of Shanghai map on the Conquest mode. The beta will be available for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

Also during the briefing, DICE announced the names of the five expansions included with the Battlefield 4 Premium offering, which was announced last week. They are China Rising, Second Assault, Naval Strike, Dragon's Teeth, and Final Stand, which will release in summer 2014.

A Battlefield 4 Premium membership will sell for $50, the same price as a Battlefield 3 Premium subscription. Those with a membership will gain entry to all new content two weeks ahead of everyone else.

DICE also showed off a new map and mode for Battlefield 4 during the briefing. The map is called Paracel Storm, while the new mode is Obliteration. In this game mode, players must carry one bomb to an enemy target and detonate it to win.

Battlefield 4 launches for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on October 29. The Xbox One and PS4 versions do not have release dates yet.