The year 2022 will mark three years after the release of the most recent Need for Speed game, Need for Speed: Heat, and EA has been oddly silent on the subject until now. However, according to Jeff Grubb, the franchise could get another mainline entry by the end of the year.
The host of Grubb’s Giant Bomb show, Grubbsnax, claimed that EA has significant plans for Need for Speed by the end of 2022 in a debate. Grubb predicts that the community may expect some huge announcements and surprises in the coming months, as well as the possibility that the brand could finally abandon last-generation technology.
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Grubb stated flatly that the next Need for Speed will be released in November, with EA aiming for the holiday release season to maximise the amount of buzz a new NFS can generate. Of course, it would be foolish to expect NFS to be absent from the list of EA games presently in production, but what’s unexpected is that the game will reportedly be limited to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series platforms.
While Grubb was almost certain that the new Need for Speed will be released as a current-gen exclusive during the holiday season, he was unsure about the game’s scenario. To that end, he speculated that the game would be set in Miami, which led him to believe that it would be comparable to the Underground games in some aspects, but this should be taken with a grain of salt. This means that, while some fans may have anticipated a Need for Speed: Most Wanted 2 sequel, this game is unlikely to meet all of their expectations.
Since the delisting of vintage Need for Speed titles last year, EA’s objective maybe for the new NFS to provide a similar gaming experience to some of its earlier predecessors, and classics like Underground could surely use a spiritual remake. However, if Grubb is correct and the game is situated in Miami or a comparable location, the game might be a direct sequel to NFS: Heat, which is set in the Miami-inspired Palm City.
The sheer amount of vehicle modification possibilities given to the player is one thing that Need for Speed usually excels at. Many Need for Speed games have easily made their way onto most lists of racing games with amazing automobile customization, and EA is certainly hoping to keep this trend going with the new installment. If Grubb’s assertions are true, a formal announcement shouldn’t be too far away at this point, but only time will tell.
