The wait for the next installment in EA's popular first-person shooter series has finally come to an end as Electronic Arts (EA) announced that Battlefield 4 will be hitting store shelves worldwide starting November 30th this year.

According to a recent press release from DICE, the developer behind both Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Modern Warfare 3 - two other highly-anticipated titles due out later in 2012 - BF4 promises 'a more intense experience than ever before,' thanks largely to its all-new Frostbite 3 engine which offers up stunning visuals along with improved AI capabilities that promise a more immersive gameplay experience overall.

'We're extremely excited for fans around the globe to get their hands on Battlefield 4 this fall and experience what we believe will be one of the greatest military shooters ever created,' said EA COO, Peter Moore. 'With its cutting-edge graphics engine, new multiplayer modes such as Conquest Capture & Hold where teams must capture key objectives while preventing enemy team from doing same; plus an all-new single-player campaign set in modern-day China during a renewed Cold War between USA vs Russia - BF4 truly delivers on every front.'

For those who pre-order the game through select retailers or via EA's Origin digital distribution service before launch day (November 19th), they'll receive exclusive bonus content including:

- The 'Yearly Pass' which grants access to all post-launch DLC packs for a year

- A special in-game skin pack featuring unique gear skins inspired by BF3’s most popular items

In addition, EA has confirmed that Battlefield 4 will also be available on PC via Steam shortly after its console counterparts.

So mark your calendars folks because November is shaping up to be quite the month for fans of first-person shooters!

Battlefield 4 release date