If one had traveled back in time to suggest that Need for Speed would be all but dead by 2026, few would have believed it. Throughout the late 1990s and the first two decades of the 2000s, the franchise stood as one of gaming’s most successful and widely played properties, amassing millions of players worldwide.

Unfortunately, the landscape has shifted and a string of underwhelming releases, combined with EA’s evolving strategic focus, has caused them to shift away to other intellectual properties.

The franchise’s most recent installment, Need for Speed Unbound, launched in 2022 and developed by Criterion Games. While the title garnered a generally favorable critical response, its commercial performance was not enough to continue making new entries.

Today, the final studio to have worked on the game has moved on to other responsibilities, and all indications suggest that this is permanent.

Need for Speed Is a Thing of the Past for EA

Speaking to IGN, Rebecka Coutaz, Vice President and General Manager of Battlefield Studios Europe, offered little hope for the franchise’s revival.

When asked whether the studio’s 30th anniversary might present an opportunity to celebrate with a new Need for Speed project, Coutaz flatly replied: “We are not here to talk about the past; we are solely focused on Battlefield.” Her comments effectively confirm that Criterion will now devote its full attention to EA’s flagship first-person shooter series.

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Another Franchise Dying Alongside Need for Speed

The executive’s remarks carry further implications beyond Need for Speed, as they also cast doubt on the future of Burnout, another beloved racing franchise previously handled by Criterion.

Renowned for its high-octane gameplay and striking visual flair, Burnout has long maintained a cult following.

However, the community now fears that if EA shows no interest in resurrecting a mainstream property like Need for Speed, a niche series such as Burnout stands little chance of returning.

With this development, Need for Speed officially enters an indefinite hiatus, having delivered 25 mainline entries since its debut in 1994:

  • The Need for Speed (1994)
  • Need for Speed II (1997)
  • Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit (1998)
  • Need for Speed: High Stakes (1999)
  • Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed (2000)
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 (2002)
  • Need for Speed: Underground (2003)
  • Need for Speed: Underground 2 (2004)
  • Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)
  • Need for Speed: Carbon (2006)
  • Need for Speed: ProStreet (2007)
  • Need for Speed: Undercover (2008)
  • Need for Speed: Shift (2009)
  • Need for Speed: Nitro (2009)
  • Need for Speed: World (2010)
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (2010)
  • Shift 2: Unleashed (2011)
  • Need for Speed: The Run (2011)
  • Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012)
  • Need for Speed Rivals (2013)
  • Need for Speed (2015)
  • Need for Speed: No Limits (2015, mobile)
  • Need for Speed Payback (2017)
  • Need for Speed Heat (2019)
  • Need for Speed Unbound (2022)

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