EA has reportedly put its long-runningNeed for Speedfranchise on hiatus, raising doubts about the future of the iconic racing series. While no official announcement has been made at the moment, clues from within theNeed for Speedcommunity and EA’s recent business moves suggest the gaming giant is shifting gears - possibly for good.
Need for Speedhas stood among EA’s tentpole franchises for decades. First launched with 1994’sThe Need for Speed, the series has earned a reputation for fast-paced arcade racing, open-world exploration, extensive customization, and a distinctive visual style. Over the past decade, though, theNeed for Speedfranchisehas lost some momentum, with its latest entry - 2022’sNeed for Speed Unbound- initially showing promise but ultimately recording a lukewarm commercial performance.
Concerns surrounding the future ofNeed for Speedbegan arising when franchise developer Criterion Games was fully drafted intoBattlefield 6development earlier this year. At the time, Criterion did promise that theNeed for Speedfranchise would live on, but some new evidence suggests otherwise. Matthew Everingham, a longtime contributor to EA-funded car culture website Speedhunters (closely affiliated with Need for Speed), revealed in arecent Instagram postthatSpeedhunters is “on ice” because “EA shelvedNeed for Speed.“The site hasn’t been updated since April 2025, lending further credence to Everingham’s claim.
Need for Speed and Speedhunters May Be in Trouble
Moreover, given the close ties between Speedhunters andNeed for Speed, one can imagine that shelving one of them would entail a knock-on effect on the other. EA has yet to comment on this rumor, but the latestNFS-related announcement from the gaming giant was the upcomingshutdown of online services forNeed for Speed Rivalson June 20, 2025. WhileNeed for Speed Rivals' inbound server closure is hardly a barometer for the franchise’s future plans, Criterion’s entire workforce helping developBattlefield 6likely means that even if a newNFSentry is on the way, it’ll likely launch by 2030 at the earliest.
The past few weeks have been quite turbulent for fans of racing games. Following the mass layoffs at Xbox last week,Forza Motorsportdeveloper Turn 10 was left guttedwith 120 purported job cuts, effectively dooming the circuit racing franchise’s future. The prospect ofNeed for Speedpossibly going down the same route is rather unfortunate, and hopefully, EA will see the potential in the franchise - especially in light of the massively popular open-world racerForza Horizon 5.
