Battlefield 3 Double XP Weekend Celebrates Close Quarters DLC

By now, Battlefield 3 players on all three platforms have access to the Close Quarters expansion pack. To celebrate, DICE is hosting a double XP event for the game.

Close Quarters adds several new indoor maps to the game. The focus is on room-to-room infantry fighting rather than large-scale battles with vehicles. The tighter maps enables DICE to ramp up the destructible environments, so expect maps to be ripped to shreds over the course of a match.

In order to get Close Quarters this week, you need to be a BF3 Premium member. The service, available for a $50 fee, gives you access to every expansion pack for the game two weeks before it's available to the public. Members also receive a number of other benefits, including access to special events and server queue priority. If you don't spring for Premium, you'll have to wait until June 19th (PS3) or June 26th (Xbox 360/PC) to get Close Quarters.

The double XP weekend is open to both Premium and non-Premium members alike. Your points total on every ranked match will be doubled at the end of the round. The double XP will be applied on maps from the base game, the Back to Karkand expansion, or Close Quarters.

The event kicks off at 3AM EST on June 16th. It runs until 3AM EST on June 18th. Not sure why they make the timeframes for their double XP events so narrow. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there looking to play on Friday night, too. Guess they don't want people leveling up too quickly, though.