My name is AJ Ellis, and I make mods for Need for Speed games.
I have been into modding since I was a young kid, downloading mods in the early 2000’s for games like Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 and Need for Speed: Most Wanted – back in the days of ModLoader, NFSCars.net, and, even before that, nd4spdworld.com.
I started making my own mods as a late teenager, and in 2017 I uploaded my first mod – a car model for Need for Speed: Most Wanted, converted from Need for Speed: Shift 2. It used some parts kept from NFS Most Wanted, and included parts from World of Speed, a cancelled racing game developed by the same developers as the Shift series. I discovered that their RUF RK Coupe model (which someone ripped from the World of Speed Beta) was based on the Shift/Shift 2 Cayman model, and parts lined up perfectly. And the Shift model was based on the Most Wanted model, so I was able to piece together parts from all these models to create a car that was fully customizable in Need for Speed: Most Wanted. Back then, I remember not liking how most mods other people uploaded didn’t feature much customization, so I wanted to change that. How different the modding scene is today!
Shortly after I released my second and third mods, I began my YouTube “career” by creating videos to showcase these mods. Back then I also used to race go-karts, so I uploaded those GoPro videos to my channel too. They’re still there, but you’ll have to do a little digging on my channel page to find them!
Nowadays I have way too many mod project ideas and am trying to finish them all. I utilize this website, my YouTube channel, and my Discord server to showcase them, and I post the finished mods to NFSMods.xyz and NFSAddons.com.
Lastly, everything I do is rooted in my faith in Jesus, who said “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). He also said “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God created each and every one of us with love, purpose, and a good plan for our lives. Each of us humans has fallen short of this and sinned, which separates us from God infinitely. But out of love for each and every one of us, God made a way to reconnect us with Him, by taking on human life in Jesus and taking our penalty by dying in our place. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives.
In 2016 I committed my life to Jesus. Over the years I’ve fought depression, purposelessness, heartbreak, and betrayal. Modding has been great to boost my mood and provide temporary escape, but only Jesus can provide lasting peace. I hope you, reading this, can come to experience His love and peace if you haven’t already. Highly recommend this article if you’d like to know more!