Battlefield 3 to launch on October 25, beta beginning in September

EA's just confirmed Battlefield 3 for an October 25 launch.

The DICE shooter will go into an open beta for those who bought Medal of Honor last year in September. No specific date was given, though.

The launch means it'll avoid Modern Warfare 3's worldwide November 8 launch by two weeks.

"We are proud to finally open the curtains and reveal Battlefield 3. The core development team has been together since 2005. We've grown together, taken some knocks together and now, we're ready to take first person shooters to a whole new level, together," said producer Patrick Bach.

"Like so many gamers out there, we've had some pretty wild ideas about what we'd want to see in a shooter. Until now, it was all just fantasy. But with Frostbite 2, even our most far-reaching ideas are becoming a reality. This is the game we've always wanted to create."

EA also announced that DICE was working with ex-SAS operator Andy McNab "to ensure the authenticity and grittiness of today's war is captured in both the single player and multiplayer campaign."

Watch the game's E3 trailer here.