Tencent, Mercedes-Benz and Electronic Arts (EA) have announced a new partnership focused on in-vehicle gaming, as reported in a press release on April 30.
Through it, a new open-world mobile racing game called Need for Speed: Assemble will be available in Mercedes-Benz cars across China before the end of 2024. The game is currently available on compatible smartphones in the region and will be made available to drivers through over-the-air (OTA) updates on Mercedes-Benz vehicles equipped with the third generation of MBUX, the original equipment manufacturer’s proprietary in-vehicle multimedia system.
The new mobile game was launched amid the popular Need for Speed gaming franchise that just celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2024. It is an open-world racing game developed by Tencent’s TiMi Studio and licensed by EA. Building on the success of the Need for Speed franchise that has already been played by hundreds of millions of players worldwide, this new game combines street driving and track racing on internationally recognized circuits and fictional cities. Users will be able to use either their Bluetooth gaming controller or play the game via touch-sensitive screens when the vehicle is stationary.
Tencent and Mercedes-Benz have been cooperating in the field of smart vehicles for many years. In 2015, Tencent and Mercedes-Benz launched MyCar to revolutionize the in-car experience for Chinese users. They signed a memorandum in July 2022, strategically collaborating to explore high-level automated driving by utilizing cloud computing, big data and AI. This marks a new start, driving innovation in in-car gaming and cloud services, and advancing intelligent automotive experiences.
