Criterion Announces Need For Speed Unbound 2024 Live Service Roadmap

Key Highlights:

• Need for Speed Unbound will receive a second year of live service support throughout 2024, Need for Speed’s 30th anniversary year.
• Four new content volumes will be added in 2024 focused on different themes like cops vs racers, drift/drag racing, head-to-head battles, and more.
• Each volume will include at least one new game mode, two customisable cars, bug fixes, and quality of life improvements.
• A new premium battle pass track will offer instant access to exclusive cars and customisation. The free track will still offer new cars and customisations.
• The 2024 live service plans are meant to test ideas and gather feedback to shape the future of the Need for Speed franchise.

With the Need for Speed franchise celebrating its monumental 30th anniversary throughout 2024, developer Criterion Games has unveiled an ambitious roadmap detailing a full second year of live service support for Need for Speed Unbound, the series’ latest entry originally launched in late 2022.

A dedicated “Kaizen” team at Criterion aims to use 2024’s four Unbound content volumes – adding new modes, cars, progression, and more – as an opportunity to experiment with different ideas. The news was shared via a brand new blog post on the official EA website today.

By closely monitoring player feedback and gameplay data, Criterion hopes to garner key insights into what works best and what the Need for Speed community wants to see both presently and in the future.

Evolving Volumes: Major Content Drops Every Few Months

Rather than one big expansion or sequel, Criterion will add four separate volumes to Unbound throughout 2024, each lasting around 2-3 months:

• Head to Head (Feb-April) – Heavily focused on head-to-head multiplayer battles
• Drift & Drag (May-July) – Inspired by classic Underground street racing
• Cops vs Racers (Aug-Oct) – Bringing back intense cop chases as seen in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
• Mystery Volume (Oct-Dec) – A surprise fourth volume yet to be detailed

Every volume will introduce at least one all-new mode alongside two extensively customisable new cars available instantly with the premium battle pass. Existing progression systems and challenges will expand considerably as well over the course of the year.

On top of the themed content drops, the Kaizen team aims to spend 2024 fixing bugs, adding quality of life features, tweaking progression balance, and improving the overall Need for Speed Unbound experience based directly on what the community wants most.

A Focus on Feedback to Shape Need for Speed’s Future

By supporting Unbound extensively through a second year rather than immediately releasing a brand new title, Criterion wants to leverage 2024 as an opportunity to closely listen to fans and finetune the franchise’s direction moving forward.

The studio will gather feedback in several key ways throughout 2024:

• Dedicated Player Council – Influencers, core community members, and players provide direct input
• In-game Data – Granular telemetry detailing how people play offers additional insights
• Transparent Communication – Criterion will directly update players on what feedback is feasible or difficult to address

For the Need for Speed franchise’s 30th year, Criterion envisions Unbound evolving into the “ultimate NFS experience” – fast cars, deep customisation, intense cop pursuits, thrilling multiplayer, and more all united under one title. The four 2024 volumes will trial major ideas like a cops vs racers war and fan-favourite Underground street racing to see what sticks.

Data and reactions from 2024 will shape if Unbound gets a third year of updates down the road and influence what future Need for Speed games could explore further.

A New Premium Battle Pass Coming

Amidst the free content drops, existing battle pass, customisation options, cars, and more, Unbound‘s live service model will introduce a new premium battle pass in Volume 6. Beyond a free track granting access to new cars and parts, purchasing the premium track instantly unlocks exclusive customisable Hero rides unavailable anywhere else.

For those interested purely in the base gameplay experience, that all remains free as well – it’s just an option for dedicated fans who want high-rarity cars and deepest customisation possible. Striking that balance will help fund Criterion’s ongoing support throughout 2024 and ideally beyond.

There’s been strong rumours of a NFS Most Wanted remake on the cards as well, but nothing concrete has materialised with that just yet.

Overall, Need for Speed’s 30th anniversary year represents a unique opportunity for Criterion and Electronic Arts to rethink and reshape the iconic street racing franchise for the future – an exciting prospect for longstanding series fans. Through Unbound‘s ambitious 2024 roadmap and a focus on player feedback over sales, the Need for Speed Kaizen project aims for continuous improvement both in the short and long-term.