Need for Speed Payback Abandoned Cars drip feed starts this week, plus steering wheel support and Speedcross DLC

Need for Speed Payback gets its first DLC and free content update this week.

A new Need for Speed Payback update will release on December 19, EA has announced. That’s US time, presumably, so look for it tomorrow.

The update adds a bunch of free content as well as preparing Need for Speed Payback for its first premium DLC. Perhaps the most interesting addition is Abandoned Cars. This looks to be a regular release of individual cars previously seen in-game but not available through standard means.

The first Abandoned Car will be the Mazda RX-7 Spirit R, and it will be hidden somewhere in Fortune Valley for you to track down. If you manage to escape the cops, you can then purchase the car at any dealership. It’s not clear whether this a timed event, but if you’re keen on Need for Speed Payback you should probably play it safe and try to grab the first Abandoned Car as soon as possible.

In the next few weeks, Need for Speed Payback players can look forward to the Volvo 242DL, Volvo Amazon P130, Plymouth Barracuda, Nissan Skyline 2000 GTR and BMW M3 Evolution II E30 as Abandoned Cars.

As well as the new Abandoned Cars, you can tweak your existing BMW collection thanks to a new series of BMW M Performance Parts. They’re just cosmetics – sorry, petrolheads – and can be purchased and equipped in the garage the same way as any other visual customisation part.

A new game mode called Drift Runs will be added to Speedlists. Based on the Drift Trial events in the single-player Need for Speed Payback campaign, they support up to eight players and award multipliers to those at the front of the pack. There will be ten courses in day and night versions.

In addition to new content, the update also adds support for a couple of steering wheel peripherals – the Logitech G29 and Logitech G920. This applies to all platforms Need for Speed Payback is available on.

That’s all the free stuff, but Ghost said it’s only the beginning of its plans for ongoing Need for Speed Payback support and to stay tuned in 2018. Meanwhile, the DLC details are below.

The Speedcross DLC introduces the eponymous event, which has players scoring points for Drift Zones, Jumps, Speedtraps and Smackables across pre-determined courses.

There are five cars classified as Speedcross vehicles: the Nissan 350Z, Ford Focus RS and Dodge Charger, plus the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman and the Infiniti Q60 S, which are both new with this DLC.

In the single-player campaign, players take on the role of Mac after the disappearance of driver Rav was tuning the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman for. They’ll face off against racers from Palmont, Bayview, Rockport, Fairhaven and Olympic City all represented, and finally face off against the Speedcross champion, The Barracuda.

The pack also adds 16 new events across the Canyon, Airfield, Construction and Ember Valley zones.

Speedcross is included in the Peed for Speed Payback season pass included with the Deluxe addition, or as an a la carte purchase. It launches tomorrow.

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