DICE has confirmed that Battlefield 3 will have an Online Pass, which is becoming the norm for games with a sizeable multiplayer component, especially in Electronic Arts games. In other words, new copies will come with a free code unlocking the multiplayer mode, while used copies will require the user to purchase a code.
Battlefield 3 core gameplay designer Alan Kertz revealed this in a series of tweets on his Twitter account. When asked by a fan “do you need to buy a new battlefield 3 to play xbox live?”, Kertz tweeted back, ”you can also purchase an online pass for a used copy.”
When a fan complained "wait, what? We have to pay to play a second hand game online? Why?!" , Kertz then revealed why the online pass was needed, responding, "Because servers cost money, and used games don't make developers any money."
This is nothing new for the Battlefield series, however, as Battlefield: Bad Company 2 had a VIP Pass which gave access to online gameplay and free DLC.
Battlefield 3 will be released on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation on 25th October, 2011.
