Battlefield 3's multiplayer modes revealed - yay, Hardcore!

BF3 must be close, because the news on the game is getting super busy - and here's everything you need to know about the game's multiplayer.

Yeah, yeah, the singleplayer campaign for Battlefield 3 is looking pretty good, but we all know where the real action's going to be at - multiplayer. And over on the Battlefield Blog, EA and DICE have dropped a tonne of info.

So, first up, here are the game modes.

Team Deathmatch
Availability: On all 9 maps
Players: 24 (12 vs. 12)
Focus: Team Based Infantry Combat
Goal: Eliminate a set number of enemy combatants
Winning the game: The team that reaches the set kill number first is declared the winner

Squad Deathmatch
Availability: On all 9 maps
Players: 16 (4 squads of 4)
Focus: Squad Based Infantry Combat
Goal: Eliminate a set number of enemy combatants
Winning the game: The squad that reaches the set kill number first is declared the winner

Rush
Availability: On all 9 maps
Players: 24/32 (Console/PC)
Focus: Objective Based All-out Warfare
Goal: Attack/defend M-COM stations
Winning the game: Destroy all M-COM stations/Deplete the attacker’s tickets (Attackers/Defenders)

Squad Rush
Availability: On all 9 maps
Players: 8 (4 vs. 4)
Focus: Squad Based Infantry Combat
Goal: Attack/defend M-COM stations
Winning the game: Destroy all M-COM stations/Deplete the attacker’s tickets (Attackers/Defenders)

Conquest
Availability: On all 9 maps
Players: 24/32 or 64 (Console/PC)
Focus: Objective Based All-out Warfare
Goal: Capture and Hold Flags
Winning the game: Deplete opposing team’s tickets

Rush and Conquest are going to be the main focus on PC, especially with Conquest's 64-player capability. Really, we just don't even know why you wouldn't want to experience that kind of action. There are also some interesting changes to Rush, namely:

• You cannot use explosives or shoot at the M-COM to take it out. Only arm and disarm.
• If the attacking team arms the M-COM but runs out of tickets, the match will continue until the M-COM detonates or defenders disarm it
• If the defenders start disarming an M-COM just before it’s about to blow, the explosion is prevented until the disarm is accomplished. If the defender gets killed during the disarm process, the M-COM will instantly blow

We're also happy to learn that the game will feature both Infantry Only and Hardcore settings. Given how hardcore the ordinary gameplay already feels, the actual Hardcore mode is going to be the supreme test for digital soldiers, and that's where we'll be spending pretty much all of our time.

Bring. It. On. You can read the full post, which used bits of for this article, here.