Need for Speed Unbound (stylised as NFS Unbound) is a 2022 racing video game developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. The game is the twenty-fifth instalment in the Need for Speed series and the successor to 2019's Heat. It is the first game for Criterion since 2013's Rivals with Ghost Games, and the first as the main developer since 2012's Most Wanted. Unbound was revealed by Electronic Arts on October 6, 2022. The game features an art style that merges artistic elements like cel-shading and graffiti art with the more realistic art style of other Need for Speed games. The map is based in a fictional city inspired by Chicago, Illinois called Lakeshore City.Unbound was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on December 2, 2022. At launch, the game received positive reviews from critics, who praised the gameplay, art direction, progression, and graphics, while criticising the lack of innovation, story, soundtrack and bland characters.