Battlefield 4 News: DLC Release Date Revealed, Day One Xbox 360 Patch Available

The PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC editions of Battlefield 4 are now available, and developer DICE and publisher EA Games have released a day one update for the Xbox 360 version of the game.

However, while DICE and EA will release an update, it is unclear if and when other versions of the game will receive this patch. The Multiplayer Update 1 is 119.21MB in size, and while the listing on the Xbox Marketplace does not reveal exactly what the purpose of the patch is, the listing makes it very clear that players should download the patch before playing the multiplayer portion of the game:

"This Battlefield 4 update contains improvements to the multiplayer portions of the game. We strongly advise you download it."

It will be interesting to see what sort of improvements come with this release, and if the next-gen versions of the game - which will be released when the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are launched in November - will have similar day one patches.

While the game is still suffering from some growing pains, as seen by this day one patch, EA and DICE have already announced when players can expect to get the first DLC pack for the game, China Rising. The DLC will become available to Premium Members on Dec. 3, according to the updated Premium Calendar found on the Battlelog website. Premium Members, in addition to getting traditional season pass bonuses such as DLC for a discounted rate, will receive China Rising and the other DLC for the game two weeks before nonmembers. This implies that China Rising will be available to nonmembers on Dec. 17. The Premium Membership for Battlefield 4 costs $49.99.

China Rising is the first of five planned DLC packs for Battlefield 4, but it is unclear when the other DLC packs will become available for the game. As the name implies, the DLC will give players four new maps set in different locations around the Chinese mainland. In addition to these new maps, China Rising will also add new vehicles and weapons to Battlefield 4.

Battlefield 4 figures to be one of the most popular games of the fall, as gamers buy the title on current and next-gen consoles. Look out for more news about Battlefield 4 right here as the game prepares for the next-gen launch.