EA has announced another set of downloadable-content (DLC) for its recent first-person shooter Battlefield: Bad Company 2, with two new multiplayer modes scheduled to release on the same day as Modern Warfare 2’s first map pack. As a further insult to direct competitor Modern Warfare 2, Bad Company 2’s DLC will be free.

VIP Members of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – or those who purchased a first-hand copy of the game at retail – can download the free VIP Map Pack 2 on March 31st. This map pack essentially unlocks new game modes for existing maps: a Conquest mode for the Arica Harbor map and Rush mode to the Laguna Presa map.

The DLC was announced via the blog of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 developer DICE. DICE took the mickey out of Activision’s recent ‘Mapathy campaign’, further putting the boot in by pointing out that EA is choosing not to charge for the same-day DLC. “We’re dedicated to taking care of this product for a long time – helping you avoid “mapathy” without getting nickel-and-dimed.”