Battlefield 3 beta hits Oz next week

(Credit: EA Games)

EA has announced that an open multiplayer beta for Battlefield 3 will be available for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC gamers from 29 September, and will include players from Australia and New Zealand.

This gives Aussie gamers nearly two weeks of furious fragging FPS action before the full game hits stores on 10 October. The beta is also open to residents in North and South America, Europe and South Africa. The required files will be available to download through the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live and the EA online games store, Origin.

Battlefield 3 will be the eleventh game in the Battlefield franchise, which has included Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield: Bad Company, and the free-to-play Battlefield 1943 and Battlefield: Heroes. The latest instalment is set in 2014, and follows on directly from the action in 2005's Battlefield 2.