Need For Speed Unbound will continue its live service for another year, with more volumes (seasons), new features and more.
Developers Criterion is looking for feedback from fans on what they want to see in Need For Speed- a thirty-year-old (30!) franchise that has taken different shapes and meaning throughout its life- from outrunning cops in the most exotic cars around the most exotic locales to portraying the lively tuner culture prevalent in the 2000s and beyond.
Expect four volumes to be released this year, with Volume 6 arriving later this week. From February to April, Head To Head races will be added with a special mention of Audi- so expect at least a new car from the German brand.
From May to July, Volume 7 will be adding Drift and Drag events, inspired by Need For Speed Underground, which is now 20 years old (20!).
From August to October, Volume 8 will be themed around Cops Vs. Racers inspired by Need For Speed Hot Pursuit, which is either 14 years old if you count by the latest iteration (2010, which coincidentally the first NFS game Criterion developed), or Need For Speed III Hot Pursuit which was released in 1998- 26 years ago.
Each volume will add two new cars (all with customisation parts), new events, new challenges, and a new Speed Pass.
However, starting with Volume 6, there will be a Premium Speed Pass. So all these free updates aren’t entirely free anymore. At least paying for a Speed Pass grants a different track of unlocks rather than just a pay-to-progress the available Speed Pass.
More importantly, throughout this second year of live service, the devs are committed to fix bugs and address issues of NFS Unbound. It’s from the feedback by fans is why the game added a no-filter driving effect, replacing the fancy, glittery graffitti effects a car produces (which is part of the main aesthetic Unbound was going) to just normal tyre smokes.
The devs are gathering feedback via a Player Council- a group featuring Need For Speed influencers, community members and players- as well as using telemetry.
Need For Speed Unbound is currently available on EA Play (and Xbox and PC Game Pass) and PS Plus Game Catalog. If you haven’t checked the game out but have any of the game subscription services mentioned, it’s a good time to check it out. The gameplay still has traces of past games, up to Need For Speed Rivals. Check out our review of the game here.
Source: Need For Speed