The fictional city setting of Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) is Fairhaven.
Fairhaven is an open-world city created for Criterion Games’ 2012 revival of Most Wanted. It combines beaches, industrial areas, highways, jumps, shortcuts and dense urban roads, giving races and police pursuits several distinct environments. A major route through the city is I-92, a highway that links many of its driving spaces.
The game’s setting is often confused with Rockport, the city from the original Need for Speed: Most Wanted released in 2005. Although both games share the Most Wanted name and feature police chases, they are separate games with different worlds. Redview County belongs to Need for Speed: Rivals, while Palm City is the setting of Need for Speed Heat.
Fairhaven also reflects Criterion’s experience with open-world driving games, particularly Burnout Paradise. Players discover parked cars, repair shops, billboards and event locations while exploring the city, rather than following a tightly linear campaign map.