COD Elite Premium priced, dated

COD XP: Activision has finally lifted the lid on the premium membership to its new social networking service, Call of Duty Elite.

During the company’s Call of Duty XP event in Los Angeles, CEO Eric Hirshberg announced that a 12-month subscription will cost $49.99 – equating to roughly $5 per month. UK and European prices are to be confirmed shortly.

As has previously been announced, a number of Elite’s functions will be free to all Call of Duty players, including comprehensive stat tracking, the ability to join groups based on shared interest and basic clan support. However, those who shell out for the premium membership will be given access to a variety of extras.

Most notably, they will have access to all Modern Warfare 3 DLC, such as maps, new modes and Spec Ops missions. Activision expects to release 20 pieces of additional concert throughout the next year, and premium Elite subscribers will have early, and more regular access to this.

The publisher plans to release one or two new maps every month for Elite members, which will then be collected into a regular map pack for non-paying users. Interestingly, purchasing all four DLC packs without a premium subscription would cost approximately $60 – roughly $10 more than Elite’s annual fee.

Paid members will also be allowed to enter contests and tournaments for prizes, which will range from in-game emblems to iPods and COD-branded Jeeps.

They will also have eight times more video capacity than non-paying members, access to exclusive strategy and analysis videos and the ability to level up their clan.

Finally, premium COD Elite subscriptions will grant users access to Elite TV, a new star-studded video service integrated into the new social network.

Call of Duty Elite is currently in beta and will go live when Modern Warfare 3 is released on November 8.