EA’s official website has been updated to display a new Need for Speed countdown timer, which most likely points towards a new entry in the company’s long-running racing game series. We’ve known for a while that a new NFS game was on the way in 2019, though it looks like we’ll have more concrete information soon. With the franchise set to celebrate its 25th anniversary at the end of this month — the original Need for Speed having launched 31 August 1994 in North America — the timer’s conclusion this coming Wednesday looks set to capitalize on that.
Having been unveiled back in May via a blog post on the EA Answers website penned by an EA DICE Team member with the screen name “BenWalke,” the upcoming release is said to have its sights firmly set on building a new future for the series, with the post specifically stating the team aren’t “here to look back and reminisce.” That’s a bold way to celebrate an anniversary, though the changes shouldn’t be too drastic, as customizing and racing cars will remain the new game’s foundation. At the time, Walke also stated that the team is focused on building the best game they can, rather than promoting their new title too heavily, promising that the eventual reveal would be a “full unveiling,” which points towards the upcoming news being substantial.
ALSO: New Need For Speed game confirmed for 2019 release
What type of game the blowout will reveal is open to all kinds of speculation, with Need for Speed historically being a famously diverse franchise. From arcade-style street to simulation-style circuit racing, to both evading the police and giving chase as the police, across its 23 entries EA’s driving games have basically done it all. Most recently, 2017’s Need for Speed Payback featured “action driving” in an open-world environment, though Ghost Games didn’t win much acclaim with the entry, receiving a mostly mediocre critical reception.
You can see the NFS announcement timer for yourself if you’d like to countdown alongside it. Or, you could just check back in with GameRevolution on Wednesday and read all about it.
