- EA has now rebranded Criterion to Criterion Games – A Battlefield Studio, suggesting its complete focus on the upcoming Battlefield 6.
- The official rebranding also suggests Criterion will no longer work on Need for Speed in the future as a lead developer.
- Past rumors hinted EA shelved Need for Speed, and the rebranding now confirms it.
The Need for Speed IP has struggled for nearly a decade, with NFS Unbound also failing to meet the fans’ expectations. It was only a matter of time before rumors about Need for Speed being shelved began circulating, even though EA had claimed otherwise in the past.
Now, EA has officially rebranded Criterion into ‘Criterion Games – A Battlefield Studio,’ signaling a full official departure from the Need for Speed franchise. The team, which was the lead NFS developer for a long time, has been focusing on Battlefield 6 for the last 2-3 years.
Why it matters: The Criterion Games rebranding has caused a lot of stir in the Need for Speed community. It’s unclear if EA has plans to preserve and further develop the NFS series.
The new rebranding can be seen on the Criterion Games site, where it claims to be a proud member of the Battlefield studios. The Battlefield group is currently based on four studios, including DICE, Motive, Ripple Effect, and Criterion, all focused on developing BF6.
Today, we’re proud to [be a] part of Battlefield Studios, driving innovation, technical excellence, and bold design across one of the most iconic franchises in gaming.
-Criterion Games.
Criterion will now focus on the grand ambitions that EA has for the Battlefield franchise as a support studio, which include eventually launching yearly titles like Call of Duty.
It’s unclear if EA will revive Need for Speed with a new studio or shelve it, though handing it to Codemasters seems unlikely given its focus on F1.
Regardless, the Need for Speed community is quite unhappy with the new developments.
Do you think EA is officially done with the Need for Speed series by making Criterion fully focus on the Battlefield IP? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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