Need for Speed Rivals Servers Have Officially Been Shut Down

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Fans of *Need for Speed: Rivals* are disappointed to learn that EA has officially closed the game’s online servers. Although many expected this eventually, it marks the end of an era for the series. As of October 7, 2025, you can no longer play *Need for Speed: Rivals* multiplayer.

Even though it was released in 2013, many fans still consider *Need for Speed: Rivals* to be one of the best games in the series. While the game had some technical issues when it first came out, it’s become a much smoother experience over time. Unfortunately, the online multiplayer for *Rivals* is no longer available, so players will only be able to enjoy the single-player campaign.

EA Has Shut Down Need for Speed: Rivals Multiplayer Servers

EA has officially shut down online multiplayer for *Need for Speed: Rivals*, along with other games. As announced previously, as of October 7th, you can no longer race other players online in *Rivals*. You can still play the game, but you’ll be limited to the single-player mode and racing against the computer. For many players, this effectively ends the game, as its online multiplayer was a major draw. *Need for Speed: Rivals* isn’t the only EA game losing online features this month; servers for *Madden NFL 22* and *FIFA 23* will also be taken offline on October 20th and 30th, respectively.

It’s common for older games to be taken offline, and EA is no different. However, the shutdown of *Rivals* feels particularly significant. It seems EA is refocusing Criterion, the studio behind *Rivals*, solely on the *Battlefield* series, which casts doubt on the future of *Need for Speed*. While EA could potentially move *Need for Speed* development to another studio, rumors suggest they might be putting the series on hold indefinitely. This makes Criterion’s change seem like a possible end to *NFS*, at least for the time being. It’s important to remember these are just rumors, but combined with *Rivals* shutting down, it’s likely disappointing news for fans.

EA, the company behind the *Need for Speed* series, has been closing down online servers for many of its games. Since 2023, they’ve shut down at least 61 games, with more expected to follow. While it’s understandable that maintaining servers for older games isn’t always practical given the large number of titles EA offers, it’s still frustrating for players who enjoy revisiting those games.

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2025-10-07 19:57