EA revealed Need for Speed Unbound with its first trailer Thursday, showing off an in-game appearance by rapper A$AP Rocky alongside the game's anime-influenced aesthetic.
Need for Speed Unbound will be released for PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S on Dec. 2, and will feature 4K visuals at 60 frames per second. Developed by Criterion Games, the game will be an open world racing game set in the fictional city of Lakeshore. Players will explore the city in an offline single-player campaign or compete in cross-platform multiplayer races. As they tool around Lakeshore, players will earn in-game customization options while evading the police.
Is A$AP Rocky in NFS Unbound?
As touted by the game's trailer, A$AP Rocky will appear in Need for Speed Unbound. He'll play the leader of a faction called the Takeover Scene that lets players pull off stylish driving tricks rather than simply drive fast as they take over (get it?) parts of the city. Rocky also had creative input on the game, and some of his music will appear on the game's soundtrack.
Is NFS Unbound a Sequel to NFS Heat?
Although EA hasn't specified NFS Unbound's place in the Need for Speed canon, it seems unlikely the game will be a direct sequel to Need for Speed Heat. Heat was developed by the now-defunct studio Ghost Games, which handled the Need for Speed franchise from 2013's Need for Speed Rivals through 2019's Heat. None of Ghost Games' takes on the series found the critical or financial success EA hoped for, leading to the studios reorganization into EA Gothenburg.
Need for Speed Unbound Pre-Order Information
Players can pre-order Need for Speed Unbound via EA's website. Doing so unlocks the following benefits:
- A cartoonish red and green driving effect
- A bright green NFS license place
- A banner artwork and sticker
- $150,000 of in-game currency for use in multiplayer
Need for Speed Unbound Special Editions: Palace Edition Detailed
If players want bonus content for NFS Unbound, they'll have to spring for the Palace Edition. Pre-ordering the Palace Edition unlocks the same benefits as pre-ordering the game, plus the following bonuses:
- Four Custom Cars, including a Golf GTI designed by A$AP Rocky
- New gassy Driving Effects
- Mashman Decals and License Plate
- Exclusive Character Pose and Banner Artwork
- Exclusive Clothing Pack containing 20 items
This article was originally published on dbltap as Need for Speed Unbound Release Date Revealed via Trailer.