Originally slated to be a free piece of downloadable content, the island will now sell for an undisclosed fee. "We never expected to create anything this ambitious, but as it progressed we got more and more excited about what it could become," said the studio.

Big Surf is the "culmination of everything we learned creating Paradise City," the developer added on its site. "We appreciate the support we know you guys will give us for our paid content. We think it's worth it."

The island marks the latest downloadable add-on for the game, which has seen continual support since its PS3 and Xbox 360 release last January. Since then, Criterion has added new modes, new cars and motorcycles to the game at no extra cost.

Other pieces of upcoming premium DLC include an offline multiplayer mode and the Legendary Cars pack with its Back to the Future-esque Jansen 88 Special.

No timeline was provided as to when Big Surf Island will arrive. The content is assured to hit the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, but Criterion has yet to address the subject of downloadable content for the forthcoming PC release.