The feature will be free for everyone, the team said.

It's not certain if this was always in the cards or an after-the-fact addition. However, it is an acknowledgment that dropping a major online feature of the previous game probably wasn't the greatest idea. NFS games aren't typically known for deep, thought-provoking single-player storylines, so Payback only had so much to do if you'd finished (or just didn't care for) its solo mode. While this isn't likely to sell you on the game if you weren't interested before, it might encourage a closer look if you've been at least mildly intrigued.