A new Need For Speed game has reportedly been leaked. Titled Need for Speed Heat, it appeared as if longtime racing game fans finally had something new and interesting to look forward to. Unfortunately, it seems like there's a bit more to this leak — and it doesn't look good.
Let's start with what the supposed leak got right: the anticipated consoles (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) and release window (sometime in 2019) are believably accurate. The rest of the leak, however, kind of falls apart thanks to some sleuthing from people on the Internet.
Here is the original leak and a response tweet which demonstrates the problems with this reportedly new Need For Speed game:
https://twitter.com/TheNobeds/status/1156128209131298821
The veracity of the name "Need For Speed Heat" is disputed as this is a title that has been floating around in the community for some time now. However, there isn't really enough evidence in either direction to outright note this as true or false.
Two other key points, however, mean that it is somewhat unlikely that this is the new Need For Speed game.
Let's start with the cover art: it's actually from a news post for Need For Speed No Limits, the first game in the franchise made specifically for mobile. It's very doubtful that Electronic Arts would have reused art in this fashion, especially when they're debuting a brand new game.
Then there's the matter of the logo. As noted in the above tweet from @TheNobeds, this logo is used in speculation videos by YouTuber BlackPanthaa. Take a look at this two-month-old video for yourself where you can see the supposedly new logo in the first five seconds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibzGzyt9TCU
So, in summation: the name has been floating around the Need For Speed community for a while, the image is taken from a March 2019 update for a mobile game from the franchise, and the logo appears to be lifted from a gaming YouTuber. We're probably getting a new Need For Speed game before the year is out, but it's unlikely that we've gotten a glimpse at the box art today.
Does this mean that this leak is not genuine? Probably, but it's not entirely out of the question, either. While retailers will usually forego posting box art if they don't have it, it's possible that this was placeholder box art that was provided to a retailer in error or something created by an overzealous employee at a gaming retailer. It is, however, much more likely that this particular leak is a bunch of hot exhaust.
Do you think the new Need For Speed game leak is genuine? Are you hoping to see Need For Speed Heat or something similar released before 2019 is over? Let us know in the comments below!