The subsequent Need for Speed will lean exhausting into an anime aesthetic, if the screens from an abroad product itemizing are any indication.

On Wednesday, members of the Need for Speed subreddit noticed the leaked itemizing for Need For Speed Unbound by way of Japanese retailer Neowing. The itemizing says the brand new sport will launch in December. Electronic Arts has an announcement coming Thursday at 11 a.m. EDT, when it is going to reveal extra in regards to the subsequent sport.

The Neowing web site included 5 screenshots, watermarked NFS Unbound, exhibiting a wide range of tuned-up autos, introduced realistically, however with cel-shaded, anime-style drivers and different NPCs within the body. In one display screen, a avenue racer throws hand-drawn, star-shaped sparks and its tires depart a two-dimensional smoke path because it takes a nook.

According to a machine-translated product description of Need for Speed Unbound, the sport will function music (and an in-game look) from rapper A$AP Rocky, with a soundtrack produced by Brodinski, a French composer and DJ.

Image: Criterion/Electronic Arts

“Bringing graffiti to life in a completely new visual style, merging the latest street art with the most realistic cars in Need for Speed ​​history,” the outline says, explaining the unorthodox visible type.

“Go to meetups and show off your style with many items, including limited edition gear, from the world’s latest fashion,” the itemizing provides. “Then add the finishing touches to your car’s style, transforming it with unique wraps and cut-out items to match your legendary custom car, and take the lead in races and put your winning pose above the competition.”

Neowing’s web page lists solely PlayStation 5 for Need for Speed Unbound, which suggests the sport is likely to be a new-generation launch solely. Every mainline Need For Speed sport, going again to the sequence’ starting in 1994, has launched on Windows PC, too. Polygon on Tuesday reached out to an Electronic Arts consultant for extra particulars on the following Need for Speed, however the writer declined to remark, apart from mentioning the countdown to Thursday’s reveal.

The leaked screens verify that the sport is developed by Criterion Games (which consists of Codemasters Cheshire, which EA acquired in 2021). Criterion’s newest Need for Speed initially focused a 2021 launch, till EA assigned Criterion to help EA DICE with final November’s Battlefield 2042.

Image: Criterion/Electronic Arts

Still, till Tuesday’s teaser tweet, EA made no announcement in regards to the subsequent Need for Speed title apart from telling traders one was coming by the top of 2022.

The Need for Speed franchise was despatched again to Criterion Games after 2019’s Need for Speed: Heat, the final of three titles developed by the now-dissolved Ghost Games. None of the three generated the type of vital or business reception that Criterion’s Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (in 2010) or 2012’s Need for Speed: Most Wanted delivered.

Over the previous 10 years, Criterion Games has primarily been recognized for supporting DICE on Battlefield 5, Battlefield 2042 and Star Wars Battlefront 2. Its most up-to-date racing titles had been the 2018 remaster of the open-world basic Burnout Paradise, and a 2020 remaster of Hot Pursuit.