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How to Get Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)

A legitimate digital download for the 2005 original was not confirmed. Learn how to distinguish it from the 2012 game and what to check when looking for a copy.
Length2 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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If you mean the original Need for Speed: Most Wanted released in 2005, a current legitimate digital download was not confirmed. Historical EA community support said the 2005 game was not a digital download and suggested looking for a copy through Amazon or another reseller. That is historical guidance, not confirmation of current stock or seller authorization. The EA and Steam listings found for “Most Wanted” are for the separate 2012 release.

First, make sure you have the right Most Wanted

The title refers to two different releases. The EA storefront page and Steam listing identified here are for the game released on October 30, 2012—not the 2005 original. Check the year before buying or installing: EA’s product page and Steam’s listing describe the 2012 game.

How to look for the 2005 game

EA Forums historical community support answered a question specifically about the 2005 release by saying it had not been a digital download on Origin and suggesting Amazon or another reseller. This does not confirm that copies are available now, that any particular seller is authorized, or that a copy will work on a current computer.

  1. Search for the exact release and platform, such as Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005), PC, rather than searching only for “Most Wanted.”
  2. Before purchasing, ask the seller to confirm which release it is, the platform, region, what discs and packaging are included, the condition, and any activation requirements. Those details can vary by copy and are not established by the historical support response.
  3. Assess the seller and listing carefully. EA warns that unauthorized digital sellers may offer the wrong product or language, or fake, used, or stolen codes; EA says illegally obtained codes can be disabled. See EA’s guidance on where to buy EA games.
  4. If you find a PC disc, check whether your computer has a compatible optical drive. An external drive may be useful if it does not, but no specific drive or modern-system compatibility is confirmed here.

Does downloading through the EA app work?

EA’s general instructions say that a game bought digitally through the EA app appears in the account’s Library. To download an available game, sign in to the EA app, open Library, select the game, confirm the location and language, accept the Terms of Play, and choose Download. EA also says physical EA games bought outside the app can be added to the Library, but this general guidance does not establish that a 2005 copy can be redeemed or that the original is currently offered digitally. See EA’s EA app download instructions.

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#1 Best Overall
Need for Speed Most Wanted - PC
  • Electronic Arts 15207 Need for Speed Most Wanted PC

Do not mistake the 2012 listing for the original

The EA and Steam listings cited above are for the October 30, 2012 release. Steam lists account, client, and linked-account requirements for that game; its requirements and product details should not be assumed to apply to the 2005 release. Confirm the year and platform in any listing before you pay.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Need for Speed Most Wanted - PC
Need for Speed Most Wanted - PC
Electronic Arts 15207 Need for Speed Most Wanted PC
$89.99
Bestseller No. 2
Need For Speed Most Wanted
Need For Speed Most Wanted
very good game
$39.89
SaleBestseller No. 3
SaleBestseller No. 5
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Greatest Hits) (Renewed)
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Greatest Hits) (Renewed)
Master shortcuts and use the traffic and destructible environments to your advantage
$51.76
Best Value
Sale
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Greatest Hits) (Renewed)
  • Go up against the best street racers on the scene to earn respect and rise to the top of the Blacklist
  • Build up your Rap Sheet with Record breaking times, epic races and wild headline making stunts
  • Show off your skills by outrunning and outhinking cops, even as they escalate their vehicles, tactics and technology
  • New Performance Tuning options Can't compete against a sports car? Head to the safehouse and tune up your ride
  • Master shortcuts and use the traffic and destructible environments to your advantage
Rank #4
Need for Speed Collection (Need for Speed Underground, Need for Speed Most Wanted, Need for Speed 2) (Renewed)
  • In Need For Speed - Underground you'll have to prove yourself against the world's best (and toughest) street racers. Dive into the illegal racing world and build up your reputation, as you tune your machine with the finest aftermarket parts
  • Need For Speed - Underground 2 lets you heat up those cold city streets with high-octane thrills, as you try to rule the underground circuit! Prove you can dominate the underground as you explore a free-roaming city divided into five distinct neighborhoods, from suburban hills to an intense downtown grid -- all connected by freeways you can race. Drive over 30 of the hottest Tuner cars on the market, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, and Toyota to Ford and Volkswagen
  • eed for Speed - Most Wanted is underground racing action so real, you almost smell the burnt asphalt. The thrill of illicit street racing permeates the air - out-race rivals, evade cops and exploit hundreds of miles of open road as gamers make their way up the Blacklist. Build up your street cred and Rap Sheet with gripping, White knuckle, head-to-head races with the top Drivers on the streets. Then pull daring, evasive moves to out-run and out-fox the cops that patrol the open road
Rank #3
Sale
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Renewed)
  • Open World Action - Lose the cops - your way. Hit jumps and shortcuts, lay low, or shake the cops in surroundings that play to your car's unique strengths. Freedom is everything. Drive anywhere with your friends, discover hidden gameplay or utilize your knowledge of the city to beat them in a never-ending supply of challenges.
  • Non-Stop Multiplayer - Pick a car, hook up with friends and jump into a non-stop playlist of tight, competitive events. No lobby screens means the action never stops. Score big, rank up and earn endless rewards and upgrades. Keep the fierce rivalries going between events with endless opportunities to race, battle and explore in a huge open world.
  • Beat Your Friends - Autolog 2 ratchets up the intense competition with personalized race recommendations and feeds broadcasting all of your most newsworthy scores, speeds and times to your friends. Earn Need for Speed points at all times on any system as you try to outdrive your friends and become the Most Wanted.
  • Racing Without Rules - It’s survival of the fastest as "Need for Speed Most Wanted" fuses the franchise’s, authentic "real car" feel with the intense speed and aggression of Burnout. Power down, slide out, and battle your way past cops and rivals using pure driving skill, and heavy doses of nitrous.
Rank #2

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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