Need For Speed developer pulled away to focus on Battlefield

Need For Speed has turned into a Need For Help after news that developers have been pulled away from the game to focus on Battlefield.

Criterion, the British studio best known for the Need for Speed and Burnout franchises has revealed that it is shifting its focus to EA’s Battlefield series. Working as a support studio for DICE, Criterion will now assist in improvements for Battlefield 2042 with a “core group” of developers staying behind to continue work on Need for Speed.

Fortunately, this change of direction will not appear to result in any redundancies. This news is reassuring after five senior, long-standing Criterion members left the studio back in December 2022. This included its general manager Matt Webster who left after a 23-year stint.

In a statement released by Respawn CEO Vince Zampella, he expressed excitement over the core group that would be getting to work on the future of Battlefield.

"I'm thrilled to have a studio with such pedigree join the studios I oversee," Zampella announced. "As we've said before, we're all-in on Battlefield. Today, Criterion is added to our world-class Battlefield studios dedicated to ushering in a new era for the franchise.

"The majority of the team will be working alongside DICE, Ripple Effect, and Ridgeline that are led by Byron Beede, GM of Battlefield. Criterion's experience with Battlefield, our technology and building engaging experiences will have an immediate positive impact as we continue to work on Battlefield 2042, and as we continue pre-production on a connected Battlefield Universe. There is no better studio to join us on this journey and I couldn't be more excited.”

As a result of today’s news, Criterion will become a part of EA Entertainment instead of EA Sports. However, fans of Need for Speed need not worry as the previously mentioned “core group” left behind will continue work on the series. However, with the latest instalment in the series Need for Speed Unbound releasing last December, it may be a while before we see what’s next.

That’s unless the rumours of an open-world instalment are to be believed.