A new title in one of gaming’s most successful racing franchises has been confirmed. A new Need for Speed is in development by Criterion Games.
The Need for Speed series has been going strong since the early 1990s, as fans have enjoyed speeding through cities and outrunning police cars in the fast-paced arcade-style racer for decades. In a press release today, EA revealed that the next game is in development for the action-packed franchise.
Need for Speed Heat released last year to decent reviews, and the game has continued to be supported since it’s launch. However, the last update for the game will go live on June 9, as focuses are shifting to the next title.
The Need for Speed franchise has had a bit of a rocky road over the past decade. There was a reboot attempt not too long ago that is considered one of the worst reboots of the past 10 years. Fans are hoping that the developer can continue to hone in on what makes the series so fun, which is usually fast-paced races in and out of cities while attempting to outrun the cops.
In an attempt to shake up the series for the better, EA called upon Criterion to develop Need for Speed again. Criterion has worked on the franchise in the past, including Need for Speed: Most Wanted, but it also has had success with games like the Burnout franchise, another popular racer.
According to Matt Webster, the General Manager of Criterion, the team has been using the feedback from Need for Speed: Heat and the experience of the team to “create the most expressive, most socially connected, action-packed game yet for Need for Speed fans and beyond.” Those ideas certainly sound ambitious, but Criterion could be the team to pull it off.
Many fans would love to see a remake of Need for Speed: Underground 2 or Most Wanted. The series seems to be at its best when the focus is on inner-city racing, vehicle customization, and high-octane police chases. Criterion working on a reboot or spiritual successor to those games would be something that many fans would enjoy.
Although there is no mention of next-generation consoles, it would make sense to assume that the game would be developed for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. With many of the best Need for Speed games being released over a decade ago, it would be wonderful to see one of gaming most beloved racing franchises make a valiant return on next-gen consoles.
A new Need for Speed is under development by Criterion.
Source: EA
