Versions
2005 and 2012 are different games
Updated 2026-10-29
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005) and the 2012 title are different games. The browser projects described here are unofficial community projects for 2005. Official Steam and EA pages sell the separate 2012 title; buying it does not provide the 2005 campaign.
Choose the edition
| Edition | Browser route | Read next |
|---|---|---|
| Most Wanted (2005) | Community projects, not an EA browser release. | 2005 browser paths |
| Most Wanted (2012) | No browser port identified in this guide's public-source check. | 2012 edition and store links |
A short timeline
Years below are from Wikipedia, EA’s list, the mod upload date, and the October 2026 news cycle. I am not filling gaps.
- November 2005: Most Wanted releases on PC and several consoles, with separate handheld adaptations. The PSP title is Most Wanted 5-1-0, not the complete PC career.
- 2011: official 2005 online service ends. See the two dates in the FAQ.
- October 2012: Criterion’s Most Wanted ships. Fairhaven, no story campaign, Autolog, a 10-driver Most Wanted list.
- 2017: the team-authored MWO mod listing records upload on 28 August; a news recap cites that listing, so it is one underlying source.
- October 2026: news posts in Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian describe browser play for the 2005 game.
What you can buy today
US Steam lists the 2012 PC game at USD 19.99 on 29 October 2026 (single-store price). Steam and EA both list 20 GB of required disk space, not a measured download. The US Google Play and US Apple listings each show USD 4.99; each mobile price is a single-store snapshot and device availability varies.
No official 2005 PC digital store listing was identified in the reviewed sources. Do not buy the 2012 title expecting the 2005 campaign. Browser links identify unofficial alternatives, not licensed replacements certified by this site.
Questions and answers
Which one has a browser version?
The 2005 game, through community projects. EA’s store page and Wikipedia’s platform list for the 2012 game do not include a browser. I have not found a 2012 browser port.
When did the 2005 online service end?
Wikipedia says 1 August 2011. EA’s shutdown list puts the PC and Xbox 360 servers in the 11 August 2011 batch. Both dates are published. This page keeps both.
Sources · 2026-10-29
- Wikipedia, 2005 game — One encyclopedia source for release history and original platforms; closure date conflicts with the shutdown list (checked 2026-10-29)
- Wikipedia, 2012 game — One encyclopedia source for historical setting and campaign details; EA independently identifies the separate 2012 release (checked 2026-10-29)
- Most Wanted Online — Single-operator source for installation, modes and donation terms; not an independent gameplay test (checked 2026-10-29)
- NFSMW Online login — Single-operator source for update dates, lite-mode figures, launcher mentions and password-reset instructions; no sign-in tested (checked 2026-10-29)
- dezm0n web port — Single author/platform source for timestamps, settings and experimental-career limits; linked mirror is not independent (checked 2026-10-29)
- Steam, 2012 — US store: USD 19.99, single-store price; 20 GB available storage also listed by EA, not download size (checked 2026-10-29)
- EA, Most Wanted 2012 — Official PC platforms and 20 GB disk requirement; EA app price is regional, not a corroborating US Steam quote (checked 2026-10-29)
- Google Play, US listing — Single-store source: USD 4.99, updated 2018-12-21; lists Offline. Historical description mentions 550 MB+ download and about 1,900 MB+ free space, not a current measured package size (checked 2026-10-29)
- Apple App Store, US listing — Apple US catalog: USD 4.99, updated 2019-12-03; single-store source, not confirmation of Android price or compatibility (checked 2026-10-29)
- EA shutdown list via Steam news — 2011-08-11 batch (checked 2026-10-29)