Last week, a guerrilla faction of gamers successfully challenged publishing powerhouse Electronic Arts over the inclusion of for-purchase downloadable weapons in EA DICE's Battlefield: Bad Company. Having decided to take a different tack, EA told GameSpot that all weapons will now be included in the game's purchase price, but standard-edition buyers will need to unlock them by playing the game.

With the volatile situation resolved, EA today made a far less controversial announcement when it officially confirmed that Battlefield: Bad Company will ship out June 23 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Bad Company will face unseasonably heavy resistance when it hits the streets, with Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4, Atari's Alone in the Dark, Sierra's Bourne Conspiracy, and Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden II, among others, all confirmed for June releases.

As detailed in GameSpot's previous coverage, Battlefield: Bad Company aims to bring DICE's signature brand of large-scale multiplayer battlefields to consoles. Multiplayer combat accommodates 24 players across a variety of modes and play settings, and DICE promises that up to 90 percent of the objects within the game's world can be destroyed. Bad Company also packs a full single-player campaign, in which gamers will grapple with their responsibilities as a soldier and their desire for lots and lots of cash a la David O. Russell's Three Kings.

The Battlefield: Bad Company standard edition will retail for $59.99, whereas the controversy-laden Gold Edition will clock in at $10 more. In addition to immediate access to five special weapons, collector's-edition purchasers will receive a behind-the-scenes featurette as well as strategy videos for the game.