Criterion’s Battlefield Rebrand Is the End of the Road for Need for Speed

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Currently, Electronic Arts seems to be transitioning Criterion Games into a studio primarily known for the Battlefield series, effectively signifying a shift in focus away from the Need for Speed franchise. However, it remains undetermined if a new phase for Criterion’s Need for Speed will arise after this change.

For quite some time now, the developer based in Guildford has been juggling projects between “Need for Speed” and “Battlefield”. The release of “Battlefield 5” in 2018 incorporated a battle royale mode created by Criterion, which significantly expanded the studio’s role in the development of “Battlefield 2042”, launched in 2021. Consequently, “Need for Speed Unbound” was pushed back to 2022. Shortly after this, the British company began working on “Battlefield 6”. In the meantime, they announced that the “Need for Speed” series would take a break.

New Criterion Logo Suggests Battlefield-Only Future for the NFS Developer

The prolonged hiatus might transition into a permanent state, hinted by the updated logo of Criterion, initially spotted by Reddit user aleyyyy420 (via TheGamer). The revised emblem exhibits a white version of the company’s previous logo, accompanied by the “A Battlefield Studio” tagline below. As of now, it is only visible in the footer of EA’s Criterion Games page, an area where it was absent as recently as July 2025, based on reviewed cached web data by Game Rant. This implies that a rebranding process is underway and may soon be followed by an official declaration that Criterion will focus exclusively on the Battlefield series.

Another Studio Could Take Over NFS from Criterion

The decision aligns with EA’s past practice of integrating autonomous subsidiaries into larger brand networks and restructuring them as auxiliary studios. It seems that Criterion, now primarily focusing on the Battlefield series, may struggle to honor their promise made in February 2025 to continue the Need for Speed franchise. Another EA studio might take over, with Codemasters, known for its F1 development, being a likely contender since it’s phasing out its WRC development due to losing the franchise license in 2027. However, recent layoffs at Codemasters following licensing news bring uncertainty about their immediate ability to start a new project with a similar timeline as Criterion, while still maintaining their F1 development duties.

The update and change in direction at Criterion supports a 2025 report stating that Electronic Arts (EA) has put the Need for Speed series on hold indefinitely. The publisher’s apparent lack of enthusiasm towards the franchise could be attributed to the underperformance of Need for Speed Unbound compared to its predecessor, although this wasn’t officially acknowledged. However, this conclusion can be inferred from player statistics and third-party sales estimates that are accessible to the public.

For supporters who continue to have dreams of a Burnout comeback, this information significantly reduces those possibilities. In the interim, everyone is eagerly awaiting the arrival of Battlefield 6, scheduled for October 10.

Or:

For fans who haven’t given up on seeing a revival of Burnout, this news casts a shadow over their hopes. On the other hand, everyone is looking forward to the launch of Battlefield 6 that’s due on October 10th.

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2025-08-25 02:35