Sony will release the Killzone 3 multiplayer as a free download.

Next week you'll be able to download the multiplayer portion of the PS3 exclusive FPS for free from the PlayStation Network, the latest episode of the PlayStation Blogcast has revealed.

It goes live on Tuesday, 28th February in the US. Presumably it launches in Europe a day later, on Wednesday, 29th February. We're checking with Sony now.

The standalone offering includes all the maps, but there's a catch - an unspecified level cap. There will be a limit on what rank players can achieve in the free experience, and a limit on the number of skills and unlockable weapons available.

To unlock the full Killzone 3 multiplayer, you have to pay $14.99.