A recently leaked video shows off gameplay from what is supposedly Need for Speed Mobile from Pokémon Unite developer TiMi Studio Group.
A new Need for Speed game seems to be heading to mobile, with impressive gameplay footage seemingly leaked online. It’s been a few years since a new entry in the Need for Speed franchise was released and some of its older titles have even been removed from sale. NFS Carbon and other series titles were delisted from digital retailers last year and their online services were eventually shut down as well, with publisher EA attributing the move to low player numbers that made it no longer feasible to keep supporting the titles.
The release of 2019’s Need for Speed Heat also saw a big change for the franchise as it would become the last title in the series made by Ghost Games, a developer that has been working on the series since 2013’s NFS Rivals. After the release of NFS: Heat, EA handed the reins of the franchise back to Criterion Games, the developers of the Burnout series as well as NFS: Hot Pursuit and NFS: Most Wanted. The studio is now working on the next main installment in the franchise, which is set for release sometime this year. However, it’s been reported that the new NFS won’t release on last-gen consoles.
Reddit user Clxbsport shared a video on the Need for Speed subreddit showing supposedly leaked gameplay footage from a recent test of Need for Speed Mobile, which is said to be coming sometime this year. The 45-second clip shows open-world gameplay set in an urban area during the day, as well as a nighttime race. According to the person who initially shared the leak, NFSLYY, the new game is being made in Unreal Engine 4 and features handling similar to the now-defunct Need for Speed Edge with included drift boost effects. The game also reportedly features the full map from Need for Speed Heat although it currently has no story or cops and only three cars, the McLaren F1, the Lamborghini Aventador SVJR, and the Gallardo.
According to previous reports, TiMi Studio Group is developing NFS Mobile. The developer is best-known for its work on Pokémon Unite, which launched on both mobile and Nintendo Switch last year. Previous job listings on the Tencent Careers showed the publisher looking to fill positions for the development of an open-world NFS game codenamed Need for Speed Online Mobile. The Tencent Games-owned studio is also behind Call of Duty: Mobile, among many other titles.
The alleged Need for Speed Mobile gameplay shown in the leaked video looks impressive, especially considering that it’s for a mobile title. Established franchises making the leap to mobile gameplay have led to mixed results in the past, but it’s tentatively hoped the new Need for Speed could be a success for racing fans. While EA has yet to officially announce or confirm Need for Speed Mobile‘s existence, it’s definitely something mobile game enthusiasts should look out for.
Source: Clxbsport/Reddit, NFSLYY/Reddit
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