Tier 4, Coming Soon!

EA wrote:You've been asking for them in our Facebook pages, chatting about them in the game and in the forum, asking Marc every now and then, but the wait is finally coming to an end as the first Tier 4 cars approach the final stage of testing before release!

The arrival of a new Tier to the game is something we are very proud of. Need For Speed: World has come a long way since we kicked things off in July 2010. Less than two years later World has become one of the most popular NFS games ever! More than 11 million players login every single day to play, and that means a lot for us. We try our best to add new content based on what the community wants, and Need For Speed: World is not only a true global game but a continuous effort week after week by us and by you. All of your critics and suggestions are very important, and honestly, we couldn't have done it without you.

So, to celebrate the arrival of what is surely to be one of the greatest changes in the game so far, we will be holding a 1-week Closed Beta for you to try out the Ferrari California! Yes, that's right, Ferraris are back to Need For Speed! Our partnership with Slightly Mad Studios (creators of the acclaimed SHIFT series), and their recent license agreement with Ferrari S.p.A. to release a Ferrari-based racing game (Ferrari Racing Legends), means that we were able to get the licence of some of the Prancing Horse cars. We cannot yet reveal which cars we are planning to bring to World, but the Ferrari California is one of them and it is going to be the first Tier 4 car.

The California is GT sports car launched in 2008, and is the first front engined Ferrari. The massive 4.3-liter V8 is capable of producing 453 horsepower at 7,750 rpm. With a top speed of 310 km/h and zero to 100 in just 3.9 seconds, the Ferrari California is surely the perfect Tier 4 car! To get to drive it in World during a week ahead of anyone else, all you have to do is apply for the Closed Beta, which is open to any Need For Speed: World player who is Level 2 or above - there are no other restrictions. The Closed Beta will be held in the first week of May, that is, from Tuesday 1st to Monday 8th. The random draw will take place one week before, on Tuesday, April 24th, to give us time to send every selected player an e-mail with the instructions on how to download the Beta and access the server. A link will be made available shortly for you to apply for this beta. We will also provide a special forum for the chosen players to report any bugs and give us overall feedback. Around 2,000 players will be randomly chosen.

And since this is a special moment for the community, we cannot forget all the fan sites that have been created over the years due to Need For Speed. Their continuous effort to gather NFS fans around the world has been vital for the success of the series. So, we are offering some of these fan sites slots in the Closed Beta for their members! If you are a member of a fan site that has been selected by us, follow their instructions to get a chance of participating in the Closed Beta and try out the first Tier 4 car in World. Please do not apply in multiple fan sites - players who do this will be automatically disqualified. If we receive the same player name from two or more fan sites, that player will be removed from the list. However, you can also apply to the Closed Beta using the link we will give shortly (players selected twice will only occupy a slot, so the other will be automatically vacant). Check your usual fan site to see if they are one of the lucky ones.

And while all of this sinks in, here's a pic of the Ferrari California for all to enjoy! (work in progress)