Good news, racers! Normally, hosting NFS Underground means forwarding UDP ports 3658-3659 in your router.
Not hard, but more and more connections don't support IPv4, so port forwarding doesn't work for some players.

Redhair made a script and a YouTube guide that lets anyone host NFS Underground using a VPS server.
It's actually easier than normal port forwarding.

The only step is renting a VPS-but these are cheap, quick to set up, and cost just 1-2 € per month.
If you already have a server for another purpose, it doesn't cost anything extra.

This is a simple and practical solution for hosting NFS Underground games.
Huge thanks to Redhair for making this possible!

Check out the guide here: http://wiki.nfs.onl/doku.php?id=tutorials:vps_server

The NFS.onl website now has a FAQ section.
It answers the most common questions and is mainly aimed at new players.
The FAQ helps with topics like the leaderboard, Free Run and Sprint time uploads, and multiplayer.

From the FAQ, you can also access the NFS.onl Wiki.
There are already a few tutorials posted, but more content is needed.

Both the Wiki and the FAQ can be improved by the community.
In the Wiki, any player who has registered for hotlap uploads can create or edit guides and tutorials.
To do this, you must log in with your NFS.onl software account that you use for hotlap uploads.

Tutorials and other content created in the Wiki can later be integrated into the website,
so the whole community can help improve NFS.onl.

Today we bring you an interview with Carter,
the last still active competitive German NFS Underground player from the old days.
Back in 2003/2004 he was part of one of the strongest German clans, competed in the Giga Liga,
and later returned to the game with his own YouTube channel
and detailed guides that helped a new generation of Underground players.

1. When did you first start playing NFS Underground and how did you get into the German scene back then?

I think I got the game for X-Mas 2003. I don't remember if I bought it myself or if it was a present.
I played through the career mode first and then I started to play online.
Back then NBC had their own gaming TV show in Germany called "Giga Games".
They also had their own eSports league called "Giga Liga".
So I started to compete in that league and this was also the first eSports experience I got (I was 16 years old at the time).
I still remember my first game, which was against Flipmode from pro-Gaming
(one of the most successful German clans back then).
I drove a Golf, while he drove an RX-7, and he destroyed me. :D
But what left a big impression on me was that this "pro" player didn't make fun of me,
was super friendly, helpful and gave me tips (like don't drive a Golf).
I guess this motivated me to practice and play more the following months.

Full interview available here

A new name has earned a spot on the Free Run leaderboard on NFS.onl: N1GHTMAR3 from the United States.

His first upload dates back to December 2nd, 2023, when he set a 0:44.67 on Olympic Square with the 350Z.
Now, almost two years later, he has finally completed every track both forwards and backwards.
- the key requirement to qualify for the leaderboard -

With this achievement, he secured 40th place out of the 44 players who have ever managed to appear on the Free Run leaderboard.
For his qualification, he relied on the Impreza, Focus, and Integra.

N1GHTMAR3 is also the fifth American player to reach this milestone, further strengthening the US presence in the scene.

Congratulations to N1GHTMAR3 for making it onto the Free Run leaderboard!