--- title: "The Next Need for Speed Game Probably Isn’t Coming for a Very Long Time" description: "For those keeping score, this is the second time Criterion Games has been pulled off NFS to make a Battlefield game in the last three years." date: "2023-09-20" modified: "2023-09-20" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-next-need-for-speed-game-probably-isnt-coming-for-a-very-long-time" categories: - "Culture" - "News" - "Video Games" --- # The Next Need for Speed Game Probably Isn’t Coming for a Very Long Time ![Image of modified Porsche drifting in Need for Speed Unbound.]() *\Electronic Arts\* Last fall, *Need for Speed* finally returned after a four-year hiatus with *[Need for Speed Unbound]()*, a stylized take on the open-world street racing formula that marked U.K.-based developer Criterion Games' first new *NFS* back in the saddle in a decade. Though far from perfect, *Unbound* seemed to promise a new beginning for the series. Unfortunately, that beginning has all but evaporated into thin air, as publisher Electronic Arts has announced that the Criterion team's focus will be shifting to first-person shooter *Battlefield*, putting a future *NFS* installment on indefinite hiatus. The news came in an [EA press release]() courtesy of Vince Zampella, manager of several of the company's biggest properties, including the two that today's announcement pertains to. Criterion has been added to EA's "world-class Battlefield studios dedicated to ushering in a new era of the franchise" effective immediately, in Zampella's words. However, the message ends with a note that "work will also continue on what’s next for Need for Speed." A "core group" will be tasked with shaping the franchise's next act, according to Zampella. Considering the bulk of Criterion's resources will be squarely directed at EA's next big multiplayer military shooter, there's currently no telling when *Unbound's* sequel could arrive. It'd be putting things mildly to describe this news as disappointing to *NFS* fans. [A situation depressingly similar to this one]() unfolded midway through *Unbound's* development when Criterion was pulled off that project shortly after inheriting *NFS* duties from Ghost Games to help get *Battlefield 2042* across the line. We're of course particularly concerned with racing games here at *The Drive*, but it was hard for fans of gaming in any capacity to [ignore how troubled *2042's* launch was]() back in 2021, even with Criterion aiding in the lift. Regardless of the outcome, *Unbound's* release ended up being delayed to late 2022 as a result. Now, *NFS* is back to square one—at *best*. At least the last time this happened, the series' next entry was well underway and had been teased several times. Now, the future of one of the oldest franchises in racing games is a completely blank slate, and the bulk of resources within the studio in charge of it will go elsewhere. Certainly not the follow-up *Unbound* deserved, but the one it seems to be getting nevertheless. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()