Need for Speed Underground 2 in UE5 shows improved gameplay, demo available

The fan project 2Unreal5Underground (“TUFU”) aims to give Need for Speed Underground 2 a fresh new look in Unreal Engine 5 without losing the typical Underground atmosphere of neon lights and tuning culture. After we reported on the free demo back in October 2025, a new gameplay video now shows several features that were still missing at the time: AI traffic, free-roaming opponents and Outrun races through Bayview.

The video shows dynamic traffic for the first time, along with opponents who drive freely through the city and can be challenged in Free Roam or Career mode. The driving physics have also been revised: new suspension, increased suspension travel and better control after jumps are intended to improve the overall driving feel. The game is not quite finished yet, however. According to the developer, the AI still occasionally behaves oddly, sometimes performing strange maneuvers and struggling to get back on track after crashes.

The project is now around 75% complete, the developer says. Planned features include the full career mode, Bayview as an open world, multiplayer, co-op and expanded tuning. A free demo is still available via the project’s Discord server, though an official release date has not yet been announced. Fans are likely to keep a close eye on the project: judging by Reddit discussions, Underground 2 is one of the entries in the series most deserving of a remake. Still, expectations should remain cautious, as it remains to be seen whether EA will tolerate the free fan project in the long run.