Following reports pointing towards EA removing their own and DICE’s servers from Battlefield 3, the publisher has clarified why their free servers have been disappearing.
In a statement to Game Informer, the controversial company explained:
DICE is not shutting down servers. If DICE-managed servers appear unavailable, it is because they have been rented and customized by players. DICE will continue to add servers and will reserve a percentage of servers for players who prefer to connect through DICE-hosted servers.
EA also attributes the disappearing servers issue with players having “confusion” with initially experiencing Custom Servers:
With Battlefield 3, we’ve introduced a Custom Servers program to console gamers. Response has been overwhelmingly positive. Custom Servers gives players the ability to tailor the settings and parameters of a given server, which directly affects gameplay. It also gives players more choice as they select which server and gameplay style they like best.
As with any new innovation, there may be some confusion among players who are experiencing Custom Servers for the first time. We encourage players to use server filters and “favorite” options to find the servers that best suit their play style. We have enormous respect for the Battlefield community and are listening to the feedback. It is our #1 priority to ensure all players are having the best possible play experience.
Prior to EA’s clarification, it was found that official servers in the PS3 version of Battlefield 3 stemming from developer DICE were completely removed, while EA lowered their free server access to 17.
