Need for Speed Unbound rumored to release in December

A new report claims Electronic Arts’ next big racer bears the title of Need for Speed Unbound and will release this holiday season.

The next Need for Speed entry has been in the works for quite some time, with Criterion Games retaking the franchise’s reigns in 2020.

In early 2021, EA postponed its plans for the new game’s release, citing a need for Criterion to help DICE wrap development on the beleaguered Battlefield 2042.

Neither EA nor Criterion has offered any concrete details on the work-in-progress Need for Speed title. But a new report may provide insight into when the racer will take center stage.

Need for Speed Unbound could arrive this holiday season

Sources familiar with EA’s operations told leaker Tom Henderson the latest NFS installment, Need for Speed Unbound, is targeting a December 2, 2022 launch.

In a report for Insider Gaming, Henderson additionally claimed EA will unveil Unbound in early October, though an exact date remains unknown.

The reveal trailer reportedly lasts for 90 seconds or so and features music by rapper A$AP Rocky.

Corroborating leaked details from earlier in the year, Henderson’s sources further stated Need for Speed Unbound will only release across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S platforms.

Unbound will constitute the first major Need for Speed launch since the brand’s recent restructuring. Months after NFS Heat’s late 2020 rollout, EA repositioned Burnout developer Criterion as the leading team on its flagship racing property.

Such a move relegated Heat studio Ghost Games back into a support role; thus, the Swedish outfit has once more assumed the name of EA Gothenburg.

In addition to Heat, the studio formerly known as Ghost Games helmed projects such as Rivals, 2015’s Need for Speed, and Payback.

Criterion previously led development on the Burnout series and NFS Hot Pursuit. Suffice it to say, many patiently await how Criterion will reinvent the wheel for the brand’s next phase.