For the first time in the 30-year history of Need for Speed games, players will be able to ride a motorbike with the upcoming Volume 9 update for Unbound.
The update, tagged “Lockdown” will become available across all platforms on Tuesday November 26, bringing new vehicles and new game modes inspired by Need for Speed: Most Wanted in the title’s latest look back at the series’ three decades.
Manifesting as a new multiplayer event, lockdown will see you pitted as a team of up to three players against up to four other crews as you seek to complete the missions. You’ll need to complete contracts and steal cars from “Lockup” areas — which will include one of the new vehicles — as part of the gameplay.
However, just acquiring the vehicles isn’t enough, as you’ll need to get them to the “extraction truck”. Teams will need to take control of the truck to escape with their bounty — for use in other modes — and if you’re not careful you can be wrecked by its built-in EMP.
The Lakeshore PD also have their own EMP, which is used to create the “Lockdown Zone”. That’ll see your cars taking damage while they’re in the zone, which expands as you play.
There’s a total of 15 vehicles on the “Hot Rides” list in the Lockdown mode, each of which is inspired by the Blacklist from Most Wanted. Players will be quick to spot Razor’s custom BMW M3 GTR, which in Unbound is owned by the mysterious Racer X who acts as puppetmaster in Lockdown.
Among the other machinery on offer in Lockdown is the new BMW S 1000 RR 2019, which is the first playable motorbike in the entire history of Need for Speed. This bike will get you into the Lockups and doesn’t get damaged by the Lockdown Zone — and you’ll also be able to use it in some dedicated motorbike playlists in free roam and PvP.
There’s two further new cars added to the game, across all modes, with the Honda Integra Type R DC2 and the Subaru Impreza WRX STI — in what looks like Type R form — both making their debut.
Naturally there’s a new Speed Pass, which comes with 45 free tiers of rewards that you’ll need to play through. The Impreza itself is one of the rewards, along with bodykits, as well as new character skins and other cosmetics.
There’s a paid Speed Pass too, with 30 additional tiers. That immediately unlocks the Integra, and adds new bodykits, “Lockdown Spec” customs of the Volume 9 cars, a Need for Speed Legends Subaru BRZ and a special 30th-anniversary edition of the BMW M3 GTR too. Pricing isn’t yet available, but we’re expecting it to nestle at the usual $/€9.99 (or $/€8.99 for EA Play members).
We’re expecting this to be the final major update for Unbound, given both the existence of the Ultimate Collection — which includes the Volume 9 Premium Speed Pass — and the wording of the release that states that this update will be the “climactic peak of our live service journey”.
For now, we don’t know what’s going to succeed it, but keep watching this space for all the latest.