BF3 players to get Battlefield 1943 after all

Battlefield 3 publisher EA has confirmed it will give players who bought Battlefield 3 for the PlayStation 3 a copy of the 2009 PlayStation Network title Battlefield 1943. The confirmation comes after accusations of a bonus bait and switch; in June, PS3 players were promised Battlefield 1943 for free when they bought BF3, but on the day of launch, EA cancelled the deal. The subsequent discontent amounted to the recent filing of a class action lawsuit against EA.

Now, EA says there have been "some misunderstandings" around the deal, and to clear those up, it is restoring the original bonus, "making Battlefield 1943 available free of charge to owners of Battlefield 3 on the PS3 beginning this month".

European BF3 players will get a hold of the freebie from November 26, while those in the US will have access from December 10, and those in Asia from December 17.

The PSN freebie doesn't appear to affect the one-week exclusivity window for Battlefield 3 content that was to be offered to PS3 owners as a bonus in place of Battlefield 1943. The class action lawsuit against EA noted the bonus was an unrelated promotion publicly announced significantly in advance of the game's shipping.

To claim your Battlefield 1943 PS3 voucher, see EA's help page on the topic.