Need for Speed Heat is a racing game set in an open world environment called Palm City, a fictionalised version of the city Miami, Florida and its surrounding area. The in-game map features diverse geography, including mountainous areas and open fields.[1] Unlike Need for Speed Payback, the game does not include a 24-hour day-night cycle, but players can switch between day and night. During the day, players can take part in sanctioned race events, which reward players with cash to spend on new cars and upgrades. During the night, players can take part in illicit street racing, which rewards REP. Racing during the night will attract the attention of a rogue police task force that patrols the streets of Palm City. They're tasked with shutting down street racing in Palm City, which can lead players to risk their earned rep against the police or lose their earnings in handcuffs. Pursuits in Palm City can take place during day or night, but the PCPD's response to a pursuit differs depending on the time period. Players earn rep from participating in pursuits, with great amounts offered during night than day. Each heat level also equates to the amount a player's earned rep for a current night session will be multiplied by, should they successfully reach a safehouse or garage.
The player is busted when the driver stops and is close to a PCPD unit for a certain amount of time, is completely immobilised during a pursuit, or has depleted their strength bar. Being busted will reward the player with any rep they have earned during the current night session, but will not be multiplied based on their heat level. They will also have to pay a fine using bank. Players busted by the PCPD will not have an impound strike applied to their vehicle or any other form of marks that would result in them losing their vehicle. They will only be fined and have their current night session consequently concluded. The game also features a storyline in which the players interact with the city's police force, led by authority figure Lt. Frank Mercer.[2][3][4] Players can smash neon flamingos hidden within the map, which rewards them with a small amount of money or rep depending on the time of day. They can also find graffiti, referred to as "Street Art" in the game, and send it to the livery editor to use it on their car(s). Lastly, they can complete activities around the open world such as smashing billboards, beating scores on drift zones, getting the highest speeds passing through speed traps, and going the longest distances when performing long jumps. Players may complete "Crew Time Trials" which allows them to complete short timed events in an attempt to get the #1 spot on the leaderboard in their crew.
The game features 127 cars from 33 manufacturers, with Ferrari making its return after being absent from Payback due to licensing issues.[5] Unlike Payback, performance upgrades no longer come in random Speedcards and are unlocked by earning REP and winning races. The game does not feature loot boxes; however, time savers, which reveals collectibles on the map, and paid downloadable content was included.[6]
Electronic Arts released the NFS Heat Studio app for iOS and Android devices. Users can collect and customise their cars which can be imported into the main game upon release.[7][8]
On June 8, 2020, it was announced that the game would feature support for cross-platform play starting June 9 as part of the game's final patch.
