A report from earlier this week suggested developer DICE was shutting down its own servers for Battlefield 3. EA says this isn't the case. The report says players were noticing official servers disappear to the point where DICE-managed servers are no longer visible on either PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360.

Below is the following response EA sent to Game Informer this afternoon:

DICE is not shutting down servers. If DICE-managed servers appear unavailable, it is because they have been rented and customized by players. DICE will continue to add servers and will reserve a percentage of servers for players who prefer to connect through DICE-hosted servers.

Custom Servers have always been extremely popular with Battlefield PC players. With Battlefield 3, we’ve introduced a Custom Servers program to console gamers. Response has been overwhelmingly positive. Custom Servers gives players the ability to tailor the settings and parameters of a given server, which directly affects gameplay. It also gives players more choice as they select which server and gameplay style they like best.

As with any new innovation, there may be some confusion among players who are experiencing Custom Servers for the first time.  We encourage players to use server filters and “favorite” options to find the servers that best suit their play style. We have enormous respect for the Battlefield community and are listening to the feedback.  It is our #1 priority to ensure all players are having the best possible play experience.