Ok, we're here, Vol. 6, go time!
Hopefully you saw the blog post detailing the year ahead we have for you but, if not, have a glance here!
Fully equipped with what Unbound Y2 and Kaizen are now? Great!
Just in case though, the TL;DR is that we want to build; not take away, and with each volume, step towards our goal of you starting to experience for the first time ever, the ultimate NFS destination in one place.
So what are we adding?! In Vol. 6 we are hitting with:
- Dedicated PVP (with fresh playlists weekly)
- Global Rank across SP and MP
- Premium Speed Pass*
- 25 new races
and oh, saving possibly the best till last…Audi is back with the triple threat of the S5, R8 and (new to NFS) the Audi RS 6!
Check below for the full details on everything, including other improvements and QOL. We’re extremely excited to see the positive response to the roadmap so far but we need your help.
This year is all about Kaizen and to live that iterative philosophy of changing for the better. We need you all to let us know what you think, what you like and what you want to see improved. We’ll be regularly monitoring the community Subreddit and other social channels for your feedback. Right! Last one to max rank has to help Rydell with the baby powder…
- Team Kaizen, Criterion Games
PATCH 6.0.1
Added Audi Audi S5 Sportback (2017), Audi R8 Coupé (2019) and Audi RS 6 Avant (2020)
Audi's back! Get free access to the Audi S5 Sportback and Audi R8 Coupé, including body kits, in the Speed Pass. Upgrade to Premium for access to the stealthy and not-so-subtle Audi RS 6 Avant.
It's great to have Audi back in Need for Speed. We have a long heritage together and what better way to show that off than with one of our Legends-inspired customs: Darius’ Audi R8 from NFS Carbon. You’ll find it in the Premium Speed Pass* so check it out!
Audi handling model
With Kaizen we want to try new things and partnering with Audi seemed like the perfect opportunity for this. So for each of the Audis in Vol. 6, you will find a new handling model equipped specifically for them.
Key differences:
- Introduces a more gradual loss of grip to make initiating a drift feel smoother and make the loss of traction feel more predictable.
- Smoothed out the high grip spec experience, aiming to reduce the amount of snapping that can occur, keeping you in grip more and punishing you less for a loss of grip.
- Making high drift spec drifting easier to initiate and retain a more consistent flow when transitioning.
Dedicated PVP
Welcome to a new world of competition in Unbound. With Dedicated PVP, players compete in our featured playlists over this and the coming volumes.
We heard that you weren't getting the full experience you wanted from Lakeshore Online with regard to races. So we have added a dedicated PVP ‘door’ in the top level of the online garage. Now you can matchmake with everyone else in the NFSverse that's all about the winning!
The Dedicated ‘PVP’ door will also mean fuller playlists too, with 4 flavors to choose from that refresh each week. EVERYONE wanting to play PVP will be matchmade into them. Full playlists FTW!
Dedicated PVP is also our first step toward weekly programming. Each week the playlists will update to something fresh, so check back for what's hot each week.
There will always be an option to simply race and be matchmade to anyone, but there will also be boosted events (boosted cash and XP!) as well as a selection of the options below:
- Audi preview playlists allow you to experience the Audis and their new handling even without having them in your garage. As everyone is in the same car, these playlists are all about how you drive, not what's under the hood!
- Brand new S+, S, A+ and A tier races and playlists (25 in total)
- NFS Legends playlist celebrating 30 years of NFS (New one every volume)
Sounds good, right? Here's the Kaizen homework though. You need to let us know what you would like to see more or less of for the PVP playlists. This is your opportunity to actually affect what's on offer each week. Look out for asks on the NFS Reddit (insert link) on what we should feature in the coming weeks. More variety will come to the PVP door in future volumes. Help us build it into something great to bring the community together!
Global Player Rank
Introducing a new ranking system that will persist beyond volumes. Whether you play in Story, Lakeshore Online or dedicated PVP, you will always make progress in your rank.
How many ranks, you ask? 200 to start! With the rank cap being raised with each volume.
What rewards? You mean more than the pleasure of a shiny rank badge and the intimidation of your rivals? Okay, how about chunks of XP, cash and our new title system, where with each volume through ranking up, challenges and the Speed Pass you can collect and display a title on your banner that expresses what you are all about?…Or maybe what you wish you were!
Premium Speed Pass*
Starting with Vol. 6, we are introducing an all-new premium track to the Speed Pass that will grant you instant access to one of our hot new vehicles and unlock the ability to earn all its deep customisation content. For Vol. 6, it's the beast known as the Audi RS 6 Avant. Premium Pass also gives access to a Custom version of the RS6 inspired by Michèle Hélène Raymonde Mouton’s legendary Audi Quattro rally car.
Premium Speed Pass will also have the hottest new customisation options each season. Refining our Speed Pass this way is how we can keep delivering unique new content and gameplay to you through a more simplified approach. Remember, if that’s not your thing though, we will still be offering a free track of the Speed Pass with new vehicles and customizations for you to enjoy.
We are putting a greater emphasis on car content for the Speed Pass and making it available to Single Player, too, and yes that includes the Speed Pass vehicles. It’s our hope that this is seen as an improvement. Not only in how we deliver fresh new content to you, but in value too.
ADDITIONAL UPDATES AND QOL
New events
25 new races! Across A-S+ tiers! and it wouldn't be Kaizen without trying out some new things. Like a race that runs along the length of the downtown elevated trainline? Yep! Race is called “Gotta be Kiddin’ Me” for a reason.
As with everything, let us know what you like and don't like! It will help inform us for the Volumes ahead.
Freedrive playlist weekly speedlist updates
You might remember our update where we added Server recommended playlists in Freedrive? Well as with our Dedicated PVP rotation, the playlists now recommended by the server will change on a weekly basis too.
XP and SP earning
You can now add towards both your Global rank and your Speed Pass progression from either Single player or Multiplayer. Cars you unlock from the Speed Pass will be unlocked in SP too!
More XP rewards
XP rewards have been added and rebalanced for the following:
- Activities + Collectables
- Linkup MVP
- SP events
- Side Bets
- Escaping cop chases
- Playlists
Playlist rewards have been rebalanced. First place now receives lower rewards with last place earning more, reducing the disparity. The base reward for a playlist has also been increased, but the modifier for participants has been decreased, meaning the number of participants impacts the rewards less now. It's all a bit Robin Hood (steal from the rich, give to the poor), but there is overall more XP in the pool.
QOL
We have also made other improvements to make your life easier:
- Hot Laps are not discovered by default, as these are no longer ‘new’: they sit alongside the other activities to find and conquer
- Fixed a bug with Linkup MVP tracking - now it should take into account contribution to the whole round!
- Fixed a bug when entering a Linkup while in a pursuit/escaping, where a player wouldn't trigger the escalating heat and pursuit status throughout the Linkup rounds
- Some small performance improvements when in longer game modes (endurance, mostly). This should save on CPU usage spikes
- Improved cars and road reflection
- Improved image aliasing stability
- Fixed ""white tunnels"" problem
Need help?
We got you. Hit up Answers HQ, where you can report bugs or issues for a member of the team to check out.
Be sure to follow Need for Speed on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for the latest news.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1846380/Need_for_Speed_Unbound/
*Premium Speed Pass Content requires Premium Speed Pass and Need for Speed Unbound (sold separately) and all game updates. Requires gameplay to unlock. You must log in before the end of Volume 6 to claim your reward. Failure to log in and claim during this period will result in forfeiting the reward.
