Over the last few years, certain corners of the racing gaming genre have been experiencing a renaissance. While the sheer diversity that defined the genre's PS2-era glory days is missing, several big titles have managed to capture the imagination of players. The launch of games like Forza Horizon 5 and Gran Turismo 7, as well as a pandemic-fueled uptake in esports sim racing, have all helped to breathe new life into what had become a niche part of gaming. As a knock-on effect of this success though, EA’s setbacks when it comes to delivering a quality Need for Speed game, have become all the more apparent.