Electronic Arts has released the trailer for its long-rumored (and recently leaked) entry in the Need for Speed series. Need for Speed Unbound is set to release on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC later this year on December 2. Longtime developer Criterion Games also returns to the series following a ten-year absence.
The new game opts for an animated art style, as opposed to the photorealism of competitors like Forza Horizon 5. According to IGN, Criterion built the game on the Frostbite Engine, and it will run in 4K at 60 frames per second. It will feature a single-player campaign about street racing and reclaiming a stolen car, as well as an open world called Lakeshore City. It will also have online multiplayer with crossplay.
Unbound also features customizable characters and vehicles, and EA plans to add free content updates for the game post-launch. The publisher says that, animation notwithstanding, the cars in Unbound are “the most realistic looking cars in Need for Speed history.”
Developer Criterion returns to the franchise for the first time since Need for Speed: Most Wanted, taking over from Ghost Games (which is now support studio EA Gothenburg). EA had previously hinted at an upcoming Need for Speed title. Several details about Unbound leaked previously, showing off the art style and other details ahead of today’s reveal. One of those details is that rapper A$AP Rocky will feature, having his own in-game event.