8 Things We Know So Far About The Next Need For Speed Game

Despite announcing in a recent blog post that a new Need for Speed game is hitting our consoles this year, EA and Ghost Games have largely been keeping things quiet. However, after picking apart the announcement and related materials while adding in a dash of speculation and some rumours, here’s what we’ve been able to glean thus far:

1. It’s coming this year

The main point of the announcement was to confirm that the next instalment of the Need for Speed series will arrive by the end of 2017. Much more in the way of official information will be revealed at EA Play in June. So, there’s not long to wait…

2. Offline play

The two most recent NFS titles, 2013’s Rivals and 2015’s Need for Speed reboot, were always-online. You had to have an internet connection to play and that meant there wasn’t the chance to pause, in case you needed to quickly pop away from the screen or grab some snacks.

This was a major drawback and sparked criticism from players, but the next game will include some kind of offline mode. EA and Ghost Games say you’ll be able to “play through a single player experience” of some kind – a bit vague, but good news nonetheless.

That doesn’t give much away and hints that it could be separate from the main online mode, but some form of offline feature or gameplay will be a welcome addition to NFS following on from the frustrations of past games.

3. Customisation a key focus

One of the most important and enjoyable aspects of Need for Speed is car customisation and the recent announcement stated it “will play as strong a role as ever” in the next game and beyond. So, that’s definitely a cool thing to hear so early in the process. How much of a focus and the scope it will include, we don’t know. But hopefully we’ll find out more at EA Play.

4. Wider open world

The last two NFS titles were open world but this side of the franchise has always been lacking compared to rival racing series such as Forza Horizon. But, Ghost Games is promising a more beautiful and larger open world for this game. We’re excited to see just what this includes and how it compares to other games - we’d imagine it’s a big step compared to past NFS games if they are hyping it up already.

5. Racing in daylight

The Need for Speed reboot only featured night-time racing, which some felt was a little frustrating. It’s a minor detail, sure, but surely, it’d be better to have a mix of night and day, just like in real life? Well, a return to daylight racing is hinted in the teaser photo used in the NFS announcement.

6. Dirt driving?

Another interesting little snippet from the new NFS game confirmation is the mention of racing on “tarmac, and dirt, to your heart’s content”. This indicates some dirt road and off-road racing and driving is coming to the game, something that NFS hasn’t really focused on much. The fact they’re mentioning it in an announcement suggests some off-road elements and cars may be coming to the game.

7. Police chases

Cops will return to NFS for the next game, so you can get caught up in high-speed police chases and fine-tune your escaping skills. It definitely sounds like the new NFS release will be more well-rounded compared to previous games and have a lot more going on.

8. Name rumours

The last NFS title was simply named Need for Speed, as it was a reboot, but it’s rumoured that the new title that’s just been announced could be called Need for Speed: Arena. This was trademarked by EA last year.

Are you hyped for the new Need for Speed game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.