This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo is set to be a big one for the racing genre. Electronic Arts is the first major third-party to tip its hand, lining up a pre-E3 event that will include a raft of upcoming titles, including the latest installment in the Need For Speed series.
EA Play will take place the weekend before the expo itself gets underway, from June 10–12 in Hollywood. Gamers that attend can look forward to trying out the upcoming lineup of EA Sports titles (FIFA 18, NBA Live 18, and Madden NFL 18), the sequel to Star Wars Battlefront, and the as-yet-untitled successor to 2015’s Need For Speed.
Very little is currently known about the title. We first heard of the new NFS via EA’s fiscal earnings report last month, which confirmed the game would be launching by March 2018. Ghost Games is back in the developer saddle, and EA CEO Andrew Wilson has called the game “the most exciting and best-looking Need for Speed game we’ve ever produced.”
Need For Speed released to a lukewarm reception back in autumn 2015 (read our review here). If the game is playable in June, we expect it to be launching before the 2017 holiday season, which puts it in an increasingly crowded calendar slot. Not only is Project CARS 2 aiming for a “Septemberish” release, but Turn 10’s Forza Motorsport 7 is expected around that time as well. There’s also the chance of GT Sport landing after summer, what with the closed beta now live.
It will be interesting to see how the latest NFS differentiates itself. With such a focus on sim-oriented games, an action-packed arcade title may go over well as a change of pace for players. The new title will need to shine against the established leaders however, including Driveclub and Forza Horizon 3 (GTPlanet’s 2016 Game of the Year).
Those looking to get their mitts on the latest Need For Speed should mark April 20 on their calendars, as that’s when tickets to EA Play go on sale. Expect more details on how the ticket process will work before then.
[Source: Electronic Arts]
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