Ever since Burnout Paradise, Criterion and EA have been experimenting with the idea of seamlessly integrating multiplayer into racing games. There was still a disconnect, however, as players would have to open a small menu to find a multiplayer game. With the latest Need for Speed title, that menu has been replaced by something much more ambitious.

EA revealed today that Need for Speed Rivals will feature a new multiplayer matchmaking system called AllDrive. No longer will you have to stop, open up a menu and search for a multiplayer match. With AllDrive turned on, every race has the potential to become a multiplayer session. The feature has been worked into every event so everything from head-to-head races to pursuit events can end up with players facing off against other real players from all over the world.

So, what about those who just really hate people and would prefer to play the traditional single player campaign alone? According to Polygon, there will be an option to turn AllDrive completely off and just race against AI opponents for the entirety of the game. If you want to be a bit more open, you can also set AllDrive to only match you up against those on your friends list.

Need for Speed Rivals will be available on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC on November 22.

[Image: EA in the UK/YouTube]