Electronic Arts recently teased that a reveal for a new Need for Speed game was coming soon, and then announced that a trailer would be shown at 8 a.m. PT on October 6. But two days before the event, EA’s own site accidentally leaked the name of the upcoming game, which we now know is called Need for Speed Unbound.
The leaked artwork is in a more cel-shaded and cartoonish style, with a car trailing yellow-colored smoke and graffiti plastered on it. The graffiti includes iconography like the anarchy symbol, nuclear symbol, and dollar sign.
the new Need for Speed game is titled Unbound (art leaked from EA's own website) pic.twitter.com/ndjbJ3eS1L
— Wario64 (@Wario64) October 4, 2022
No other details about the game were leaked, but there were some rumors floating around that the next Need for Speed game would be for the latest generation of consoles only. It will reportedly release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, while leaving PlayStation 4 and Xbox One behind.
As for a potential release date, EA chief studio officer Laura Miele said last year that the next Need for Speed game would be handled by Criterion Games and will release by March 2023. If Need for Speed Unbound intends to launch before the end of the year, it would face stiff competition in November from the likes of God of War Ragnarök, Sonic Frontiers, and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
In December, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, and the Callisto Protocol are the heavy hitters closing out the year. January 2023 has Forspoken, Fire Emblem Engage, and the Dead Space remake. February has Dead Island 2, Hogwarts Legacy, and Like a Dragon: Ishin! Finally, March has Resident Evil 4 remake, as well as Skull and Bones.
