# Battlefield 3 (game) **URL:** \ **Category:** Battlefield Wiki\ **Tags:** bf3, game\ **Created:** [November 12, 2026, 1:21am UTC](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-game/260120 "2026-11-12T01:21:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Warlock](https://battlefieldforum.co/user_avatar/battlefieldforum.co/warlock/32/1711_2.png) [@Warlock](https://battlefieldforum.co/u/Warlock)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 1:21am UTC](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-game/260120/1 "2026-11-12T01:21:55Z")
![Battlefield 3 wallpaper: armoured vehicles and infantry advancing at night](https://battlefieldforum.co/uploads/default/original/2X/e/ea357758a79a00d71d0d2f80c1f8f6a2a58e2f78.jpeg) _Wallpaper shared by a member in [this thread](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/1227)._ Battlefield 3 is the seventh mainline Battlefield game, a modern military first-person shooter developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts on 25 October 2011 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It introduced the Frostbite 2 engine, the Battlelog web companion and the series’ modern template of 64-player Conquest on PC, and it received five expansions through 2013. Official servers were still online in 2026. **Last verified:** November 2026 · **Game:** Battlefield 3 · **Type:** game | Field | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Developer / publisher | DICE / Electronic Arts | Box, credits | | Engine | Frostbite 2 | DICE | | Release | 25 Oct 2011 (NA); 28 Oct 2011 (EU) | EA | | Setting | 2014: the United States and Russia against the PLR in Iran and elsewhere | Game | | Max players | 64 on PC; 24 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 | DICE | | Classes | Assault, Engineer, Support, Recon | Game | | Launch maps | Caspian Border, Damavand Peak, Grand Bazaar, Kharg Island, Noshahr Canals, Operation Firestorm, Operation Métro, Seine Crossing, Tehran Highway | Game | | Expansions | Back to Karkand (Dec 2011), Close Quarters (Jun 2012), Armored Kill (Sep 2012), Aftermath (Dec 2012), End Game (Mar 2013) | EA | | Premium | Battlefield 3 Premium, Jun 2012: all five expansions | EA | ## [Link to section: What it is](#p-1903451-what-it-is-1)What it is Battlefield 3 was the series’ return to a numbered mainline game after six years, and the one that set the template Battlefield 4, 1 and V refined: four classes, suppression, Frostbite destruction, jets back after their absence from Bad Company 2, and a browser-based server browser and stats system called Battlelog. Its launch maps include some of the most-played in the series’ history: Operation Métro for infantry, Caspian Border for combined arms, Operation Firestorm for vehicles. A six-hour campaign and a co-op mode shipped alongside. The Battlelog-era discussion is partly preserved on this site in the [Battlefield 3 forum](https://battlefieldforum.co/c/battlefield-3/311) and the [Battlelog and Origin](https://battlefieldforum.co/c/general-discussions/battlelog-origin/163) category. ## [Link to section: How it plays](#p-1903451-how-it-plays-2)How it plays Faster and more lethal than Bad Company 2, with suppression that blurs a target’s vision, a spotting system that marks enemies for the team, and vehicles unlocked through progression. Conquest on the PC’s 64-player servers is the mode the game is remembered for; Rush is strong on the launch maps; Team Deathmatch and Squad Deathmatch fill out the small-mode list. The expansions added Conquest Assault, Gun Master, Tank Superiority, Scavenger, Capture the Flag and Air Superiority. ## [Link to section: Maps at launch](#p-1903451-maps-at-launch-3)Maps at launch [Caspian Border](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-caspian-border) · [Damavand Peak](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-damavand-peak) · [Grand Bazaar](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-grand-bazaar) · [Kharg Island](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-kharg-island) · [Noshahr Canals](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-noshahr-canals) · [Operation Firestorm](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-operation-firestorm) · [Operation Métro](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-operation-metro) · [Seine Crossing](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-seine-crossing) · [Tehran Highway](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-tehran-highway) ## [Link to section: Expansions](#p-1903451-expansions-4)Expansions [Back to Karkand](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-back-to-karkand) · [Close Quarters](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-close-quarters) · [Armored Kill](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-armored-kill) · [Aftermath](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-aftermath) · [End Game](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/battlefield-3-end-game) ## [Link to section: Changes by patch](#p-1903451-changes-by-patch-5)Changes by patch | Date | Update | Change | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Dec 2011 | Back to Karkand | Four Battlefield 2 maps; Conquest Assault | EA | | Jun 2012 | Close Quarters | Four infantry maps; Gun Master, Conquest Domination | EA | | Sep 2012 | Armored Kill | Four vehicle maps; Tank Superiority; AC-130 | EA | | Dec 2012 | Aftermath | Four earthquake maps; Scavenger; crossbow | EA | | Mar 2013 | End Game | Four maps; Capture the Flag, Air Superiority; dirt bikes | EA | ## [Link to section: Sources](#p-1903451-sources-6)Sources - [Battlefield 3 forum](https://battlefieldforum.co/c/battlefield-3/311) on this site - [Battlelog and Origin help, 2011 to 2016](https://battlefieldforum.co/c/general-discussions/battlelog-origin/163) on this site - [Original Battlefield 3 HD wallpaper thread](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/1227) ## [Link to section: FAQ](#p-1903451-faq-7)FAQ **Is Battlefield 3 still active in 2026?** Official servers remain online on PC, with a small but steady population on Operation Métro and Caspian Border; console populations are minimal. **How many players does Battlefield 3 support?** 64 on PC; 24 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. **Which Battlefield 3 expansions exist?** Back to Karkand, Close Quarters, Armored Kill, Aftermath and End Game, all bundled in Premium. **Which Battlefield 3 maps returned in later games?** Operation Métro, Caspian Border, Operation Firestorm and Gulf of Oman in Battlefield 4’s Second Assault; Caspian Border and Noshahr Canals in Battlefield 2042’s Portal; Operation Firestorm in Battlefield 6. **What came before and after Battlefield 3?** Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (2010) before it, Battlefield 4 (2013) after it. See [every Battlefield game in order](https://battlefieldforum.co/t/260018). _Discuss the game in the [Battlefield 3 forum](https://battlefieldforum.co/c/battlefield-3/311). This page is part of the [Battlefield Wiki](https://battlefieldforum.co/c/wiki/322)._