Amount of multiplayer maps questionable
According to rumors at BFeditor.org, there were 12 map loading screens found in the PC beta files, which of course suggests that there might indeed be 12 maps.
However, the official word from DICE is that there are only 8 maps, as printed at the back of the box and featured in the new field manual. However, one DICE employee suggested as many as 16 maps (!) in an interview with IGN.
On the other hand, we also know that ESRB ratings suggested maps which include “WW2 settings”, namely, the maps from Battlefield 1943 — which could be released as DLC later on (DLC has already been confirmed). That would bring the total to 11 maps (8 + 3 DLC). The last one could very well be the rumored remake of Strike at Karkand, as we reported earlier.
New DLC was present in game files, was locked out? - Bad Company 2 Blog
March 29th, 2010 at 11:40 pm[...] out content already available and then offering it as DLC, or rather, unlock codes. We previously reported that there were a number of map files which didn’t correspond to DICE’s official map [...]