EA, Slightly Mad's Shift 2 Unleashed Announced For Spring 2011

Electronic Arts' Need For Speed Shift has sold close to five million copies worldwide, and now it's getting a follow-up from the same developer, Slightly Mad Studios. The upcoming entry will be called Shift 2 Unleashed, and it'll launch on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. EA didn't provide a specific release date for the title other than a Spring 2011 window, but did release a trailer and share some details: It'll add a "driver's battle" to the racing title, for example. The development team is also consulting with some experts for realism: "We are also working closely with real-world performance drivers to ensure that Shift 2 Unleashed captures their experience and becomes the benchmark in authentic racing action," says executive producer Marcus Nilsson. The title, which EA says is built on an entirely new rendering engine, will get a "massive graphics overhaul". It'll also be backed by a new edition of the Need For Speed Autolog network that the franchise uses for matchmaking, friends lists and stats management. Shift 2 Unleashed's official trailer was included among bonus content for Criterion and DICE's Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, which hit North American retail today, November 16.