Beyond knowing that DICE has been hard at work on the Vietnam expansion pack for Battlefield Bad Company 2 and a few rumors, little has come to light as to what this is all about. Apparently, we will not have to wait much longer, as Electronic Arts is planning to show off the Vietnam expansion during the Tokyo Game Show next week.

The Vietnam expansion back for Battlefield Bad Company 2 has been described as a major expansion release and not simply a re-hash of the Battlefield Vietnam title that was previously released. Although some have suggested that a re-visit to some of the maps from the previous Battlefield Vietnam game might not be a bad idea, DICE has not indicated that is planning to recycle any of the maps.

What we do know is that the Vietnam expansion will feature four additional maps with specific period Vietnam weapons and vehicles. New achievements and trophies will also be part of the expansion pack. A number of period music choices are confirmed to be on tap to rock though game play.

The release is still on track for later this year on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC platforms. It is expected that Electronic Arts and DICE will announce a release date during the showing at TGS, according to our sources. Despite many suggesting that EA and DICE might cave into a disc release, it is expected that the expansion pack will be a download-only offering.

If the Vietnam expansion pack is good, it could extend the life of Battlefield Bad Company 2 and deliver on EA’s strategy to extend the life of titles after release by selling additional DLC content. It does remain to be seen, however, if this strategy will pay off for EA, as the release of the expansion pack will come near the same time that the next release in the Call of Duty series drops; this could present a significant challenge to EA’s strategy.