Remember the exclusive Battlefield 3 content that prompted gamers to storm EA's forum, flipping cop cars and burning their bras along the way? Apparently, it was all just a misunderstanding. In a blog post today, DICE explained that the Physical Warfare Pack's content is a "time-based" exclusive and the company will eventually unlock the goodies for everyone.

You'd think that would've been mentioned from the get-go, so we're not sure if it was a genuinely clumsy omission or if EA is just conceding to the demand of an angry mob. Damage control or not, we're sure many of you will be happy to know that you'll get the Type 88 light machine gun, SKS flash suppressor and armor-piercing  flechette DAO-12 shells in due time.

Gamers who preorder the Physical Warfare Pack will still have temporarily exclusive access to the aforementioned armaments, so if you can't bear to face opponents with privileged loadouts, you'll want to grab the special offer when it launches in your region. It's only available in the UK right now, but DICE says the Physical Warfare Pack will soon appear worldwide.

The company also said a few words about the Back to Karkand DLC, which is bundled with all Battlefield 3 preorders, even non-Physical Warfare Pack versions. The expansion is being developed by the same team behind Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam and contains four Battlefield 2 maps that have been recreated with DICE's new Frostbite 2.0 game engine.

Although it didn't elaborate, DICE says Back to Karkand is "so much more than just four remixed maps." "If you played [Vietnam], you have a pretty good idea about the scope and ambition of our expansion packs." Non-preorder customers will have to buy Back to Karkand separately. Pricing is still unknown, but the DLC will supposedly be available on launch day.

Battlefield 3 is slated for a North American debut on October 25, while Europeans will be invited to the action on October 28. That's two weeks ahead of Modern Warfare 3's November 8 release and the competition is already heating up. In an interview with Industry Gamers, EA CEO John Riccitiello said he wants Activision's Call of Duty following to "rot from the core."

"I think our game is more authentic. It's definitely going to do a lot of things better. Lighting's better, physics is better, animations are better, particle effects are better, vehicles are better," Riccitiello continued. He also questioned Modern Warfare's "Elite" subscription, saying Activision should have delayed the announcement until after Modern Warfare 3's launch.