Summary
- Insider Matthew Everingham reveals that EA has shelved the Need for Speed franchise and its affiliated car culture site Speedhunters.
- Criterion Games, the franchise’s developer, was reassigned to work on Battlefield 6, indicating deprioritization of NFS.
- Online services for Need for Speed Rivals will end in October 2025, signalling the winding down of support for older titles.
EA Shelves Need for Speed and Speedhunters
Electronic Arts (EA) appears to have put the Need for Speed (NFS) franchise on indefinite hold. The info comes from Matthew Everingham, a longtime contributor to Speedhunters — a car culture website closely affiliated with the racing series.
In a recent Instagram post, Everingham announced that Speedhunters is “on ice” due to the shelving of Need for Speed by EA. The website has not seen updates since April 2025, reinforcing the claim.
Need for Speed has been a cornerstone racing franchise for EA since its first release in 1994, known for fast arcade-style racing and deep customisation. However, recent entries struggled to maintain momentum.
The 2022 release, NFS Unbound, showed initial promise but ultimately failed to meet sales expectations. This decline may have contributed to EA’s apparent decision to deprioritise the series.
Criterion Games Shift and Future Uncertainty
Adding to the speculation, Criterion Games—the primary studio behind Need for Speed—was reassigned earlier in 2025 to focus entirely on Battlefield 6 development. This move left the racing franchise without its longtime developer’s full attention.
Despite Criterion’s earlier assurances that the NFS franchise would continue, the focus on Battlefield 6 suggests otherwise.
The closure of online services for Need for Speed Rivals, a 2013 title co-developed by Criterion and Ghost Games, is scheduled for October 7, 2025. Although this does not necessarily reflect the entire franchise’s fate, it signals the winding down of support for older Need for Speed games.
Given EA’s aim to attract 100 million players to Battlefield 6, the racing series’ niche appeal means any new Need for Speed game would likely be delayed until at least 2030, if it happens at all.
Well, the news is concerning, especially following recent layoffs in rival studios such as Turn 10, developers of Forza Motorsport, which saw significant job cuts. The uncertainty surrounding NFS is a blow to racing enthusiasts hoping for new entries. However, with competitors like Forza Horizon 5 achieving massive success, many hope EA might reconsider or revive the franchise in the future.
