Need for Speed Franchise Has Been Shelved by EA – Rumour

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Although there’s been little news about the popular Need for Speed series since the launch of Need for Speed Unbound, many fans had hoped for another installment in this iconic series at some point. However, a recent report suggests that Electronic Arts (EA) may have chosen to retire the Need for Speed franchise altogether. This information stems from a statement made by EA-supported car website, Speedhunters.

On Instagram, Matthew Everingham, one of Speedhunters’ contributors, disclosed that the platform is shutting down because EA’s financial support has concluded. To clarify, Speedhunters is a global group of photographers, authors, and racers who share a common enthusiasm for discovering intriguing car culture tales from around the world. A brief look at the site would suggest that it hasn’t been very active lately, with the most recent post dating back to April.

Speedhunters is temporarily closed due to EA putting Need For Speed on hold, which means no further financial support for the site. I’m thankful for all the experiences, stories, and friendships we’ve shared. I’ll continue creating content, just transitioning my focus towards more video production.

It’s contradictory for Electronic Arts (EA) to have indefinitely postponed the development of “Need for Speed,” as they had previously declared that their studio, Criterion, was focusing on creating the next “Battlefield” game this year. Nevertheless, EA’s statement also mentioned that after completing the current “Battlefield” project, Criterion would revisit “Need for Speed” to produce new content for “Unbound.

According to EA executive Vince Zampella, the team behind “Need for Speed” at Criterion is now collaborating with those working on “Battlefield.” In an effort to better understand the preferences of their “Need for Speed” fanbase over the past year, they’ve gathered feedback and are using it to develop content for “Unbound.” With a deeper comprehension of what players desire in a “Need for Speed” game, the company intends to reintroduce the franchise with fresh and exciting concepts.

Previously, Criterion discussed ‘Need for Speed’ about a year back, assuring continued updates and new content for ‘NFS Unbound’. To mark the 30th anniversary of the ‘Need for Speed’ series, they announced extra content, updates to their Player vs Player playlists, and enhancements for Freedrive. However, this announcement was made over a year ago at present.

In 2023, there were whispers circulating about a possible reboot of one of the cherished games from the series – the iconic Need for Speed: Most Wanted from 2005. This speculation was sparked by mysterious hints dropped by actor Simone Bailly, who portrayed the unnamed partner to Sergeant Jonathon Cross in the game’s main narrative.

Simultaneously, Criterion, along with DICE and Ripple Effect, has been dedicating their efforts towards the upcoming “Battlefield” title, offering assistance during the development phase of the “Battlefield” Labs tests. The anticipated “Battlefield” game is scheduled for release towards the end of this year, with versions available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S platforms.

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2025-07-14 16:14