Concern with the Need For Speed saga, EA may have shelved upcoming developments

The Criterion studio is focused on Battlefield and there are no short-term plans for a new title.

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Although there’s no official announcement from Electronic Arts, more signs are emerging that the Need for Speed saga might have been temporarily shelved. The closure of platforms related to the franchise and the redirection of resources to other projects suggest that we won’t see new installments in the immediate future.

One of the most solid indications comes from Speedhunters, a well-known portal dedicated to automotive culture that was once backed by EA itself. According to Matthew Everingham, a veteran collaborator of the site, the end of support for Speedhunters would be a direct consequence of the lack of activity surrounding the Need for Speed franchise, which reinforces the theory of its indefinite hiatus.

Criterion is working on Battlefield, and the racing saga is put on hold

Currently, Criterion Games (the studio responsible for the latest Need for Speed) is actively working on the next Battlefield installment, which reinforces the idea that the team has put any development related to arcade racing games on the backburner. Although its definitive cancellation has not been confirmed, everything indicates that EA has opted to pause the series for a while.

Need for Speed is one of the most long-standing and recognized arcade racing franchises in the industry, with over 25 titles released since 1994. Throughout the years, it has combined speed, tuning, police chases, and street culture, marking a key era for fans of the genre with iconic installments like Underground, Most Wanted, or Hot Pursuit.

This is added to the fact that the company has also announced the closure of the servers for Need for Speed Rivals, another move that affects the franchise’s presence on current platforms. For now, there are no release dates, trailers, or indications of a new installment in development, so fans of the saga might have to wait longer than expected to get back behind the wheel.