The story begins after the player has beaten Eddie and his street gang - "The Eastsiders" along with Melissa in Olympic City and is now revered as the best street racer in Olympic City. After a race, the player is called by an unidentified man with an "invitation" to join his team and that he "is not taking no for an answer." The player ends the call without giving an answer and starts driving to a party but is ambushed by a Hummer H2 that rams his Nissan Skyline GT-R, wrecking it (the previous game utilizes a chosen car to beat Eddie rather than the actual one). A man with a scythe tattoo on his hand calls to confirm that he "took care of a problem."