Used to identify the game, unaltered. Need for Speed Payback wordmark, trademark of its owner, from the publisher's Steam store listing

Need for Speed Payback

Catalogue entry · not reviewed · store data read 30 August 2026

Set in the underworld of Fortune Valley, you and your crew were divided by betrayal and reunited by revenge to take down The House, a nefarious cartel that rules the city’s casinos, criminals and cops. In this corrupt gambler’s paradise, the stakes are high and The House always wins.

Racing

Player score

8.5/10

32,277 reviews

Released: 2017
Developer: EA Gothenburg
Platforms: 3 systems
Critics: 62
Steam Deck: unsupported
Download: 30 GB

We have not written a full review of this game.This is a catalogue entry: everything below comes from a source we can link, checked on a stated date. There is no score and no verdict here, because we only publish those after a reviewer has played the game and written it up properly. Our team may well have played this one. Until someone writes the review, we are not going to imply a verdict we have not put our name to.

What is Need for Speed Payback?

Description as published by the developer on its own store page, read 30 August 2026. It is marketing copy, not our assessment.

The record

Catalogue facts
First released	10 November 2017
Developer	EA Gothenburg
Publisher	Electronic Arts
Platforms	PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Genres	Racing
Languages	11 supported

Source. Catalogue facts from Wikidata Q30141529, seeded 30 August 2026. Store data from Steam, read 30 August 2026.

How was Need for Speed Payback received?

Players85%positive of 32,277 · Very Positive

Metacritic62critic aggregate, PC

Achievements57on Steam

Method. Player figures are Steam's own totals for the PC version, read 30 August 2026. The Metacritic score is the one Steam publishes on its store page and can lag the site itself. Metacritic page. Neither is our opinion. We have not published a review of this game.

What does it support?

Technical support
Capability	Support
Controller	Not stated
Cloud saves	No
Cross-platform play	No
Mod support	No official workshop
Online play	Yes
In-game purchases	No
Steam Deck	unsupported
Download size	30 GB
Add-on content	4 DLC listed
Age gate	13+

Method. Read from the publisher's Steam listing on 30 August 2026. Describes the PC version. Console versions differ.

What does it cost?

$29.99

Steam price in US dollars, read 30 August 2026. Prices move hourly and vary by region. Check the current price.

Problems players report

We read the 300 most recent negative Steam reviews of Need for Speed Payback on 30 August 2026 and counted what they mention. These are complaints, not confirmed defects: we have not reproduced any of them, and a review describes one person's machine. What the counts tell you is which problems more than one person ran into.

Monetisation inside the game14 of 300 (5%)
Instead of the classic, skill-based customization NFS fans love, Payback forces players into a random lootbox-style system.
Steam review, 6 November 2025 · 32 hours played · 12 readers marked it helpful
All of them feel like loot boxes and are randomized.
Steam review, 5 May 2025 · 9 hours played · 12 readers marked it helpful
Crashes and freezes10 of 300 (3%)
Opponents, especially offroad, crash into you on every corner, fly of the track and drive like idiots, but still manage to beat you for half the race and then, suddenly slow down so you can overtake them and win.
Steam review, 24 January 2026 · 25 hours played · 8 readers marked it helpful
The open world itself is restricted by constant barriers, resets and crash cameras - you legit have to take the long way around everywhere and god forbid you wanna fast travel.
Steam review, 9 June 2025 · 26 hours played · 7 readers marked it helpful

A further 5 reviews call the game buggy or broken without saying how, which is why they are counted separately rather than assigned to a theme. Counted by keyword across review text, so a review discussing two problems is counted under both. Read the reviews yourself.

Games like Need for Speed Payback

24 games overlap with Need for Speed Payback on the tags Steam players applied to it, on genre, and on theme. The closest are Need for Speed Heat, Need for Speed Rivals and Forza Horizon 4.

All 24 games like Need for Speed Payback

Common questions about Need for Speed Payback

What platforms is Need for Speed Payback on?

Need for Speed Payback is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One. It first released in 2017.

How much does Need for Speed Payback cost?

$29.99 on Steam in the United States, read on 30 August 2026. Prices move often and vary by region, so check the store before buying.

Do players recommend Need for Speed Payback?

85% of 32,277 Steam reviews are positive, which Steam rates Very Positive. That is players rating it, not our review. We have not published a review of this game.

What is the Metacritic score for Need for Speed Payback?

62 out of 100 for the PC version, as published on the game's own Steam store page. Steam can lag Metacritic by a few points.

Does Need for Speed Payback work on Steam Deck?

Valve rates Need for Speed Payback as unsupported on the Steam Deck, from its own testing.

How big is the Need for Speed Payback download?

30 GB on PC, from the storage requirement on its Steam listing. Console versions differ.