The next step in advancing online competitive play for Battlefield 3 is what DICE is calling its upcoming Matches feature which will enable gamers to coordinate competitive multiplayer sessions with their friends and squad members. With the implementation of this trait, players will be able to select the time, server, game settings and roster for their multiplayer matches.
This attribute will be available for the PS3, Xbox 360 as well as PC versions of the title via the Battlelog. In order to be able to organize a Match however, gamers must be actively renting dedicated servers. Once a server is selected, the host will set the match name, start time, game mode, team size and map rotations.
A post on the official Battlefield blog, read, “With Matches, Battlefield 3 players will be able to create, control, and track directly competitive online play. Platoons, friends, and rivals will be able to put their teamwork to the test in controlled environments laying claim to definitive superiority and creating new grudges.Stay tuned for more details including a release date for Matches!”
Players will also be asked to select from a list of game settings. These include options like friendly fire, 3D spotting, squad-leader spawning, kill cam, health regeneration, a list of weapon unlocks that will be made available to players and more.
Once the settings are configured, they will be asked to select gamers from their lists of friends and platoon members. The Matches feature for Battlefield 3 will even allow players to jump into a warm-up phase where no kills or points will be counted. Lastly, specific results will be displayed on the Battlelog when these sessions end.