The uncertain future of Need for Speed after criterion’s departure

Activity around new games has slowed significantly over recent years

The future of the Need for Speed series is currently very uncertain. Once one of the most popular racing franchises, the series appears to be on pause, with no new game announced in the near future. Publisher EA has confirmed that Criterion Games—the studio long responsible for Need for Speed—is now fully focused on the Battlefield series. Criterion recently rebranded as “Criterion Games – A Battlefield Studio,” signaling they are no longer working on Need for Speed. This change follows a period in which Criterion invested little effort in new Need for Speed titles, concentrating instead on Battlefield. Reports indicate that EA has put the development and future of Need for Speed on the back burner for now. Activity around new games has slowed significantly over recent years, and it was announced in 2023 that Criterion would be focusing more on Battlefield, effectively putting Need for Speed on hold. EA insists it has no intention of ending the franchise outright but is giving it a break to come back later with fresh ideas. However, no timeline has been given for when that return might happen. Fans understandably worry about the series’ fate, especially since the last game, Unbound (2022), was well received but has been followed by silence. EA also recently ended funding for Speedhunters, a car culture website closely connected to the Need for Speed community, further strengthening the impression that the franchise is temporarily shelved.

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