Feed: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
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Title: EA is reportedly hitting the brakes on the Need for Speed franchise

Date: Sun, 13 Jul 2025 16:48:08 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ea-is-reporte...

The Need for Speed franchise could be making its last laps ΓÇö at least for
the time being. Matthew Everingham, a photographer who frequently contributed
to car culture website Speedhunters, said in social media posts that
Electronic Arts has "shelved Need for Speed" and is "quietly parking" the
series. Speedhunters, which was funded by EA and was last updated in April of
this year, will also reportedly cease operations for now.

EA hasn't released an official statement on the fate of the Need for Speed
franchise, but several internal decisions point to an uncertain future.
Earlier this month, the publisher announced that it would shut down online
servers for the cult classic Need for Speed Rivals on October 7. Before that,
the developer behind Need for Speed, Criterion Games, shifted most of its
employees to focus on the Battlefield franchise, leaving only a "core group"
to continue working on the racing series in 2023. However, Battlefield head
Vince Zampella told EuroGamer earlier this year that the rest of that Need
for Speed team would be "joining their colleagues working on Battlefield."

The longstanding franchise dates back to 1994 when the first title, The Need
for Speed, was released on the original PlayStation and Sega Saturn consoles.
Since then, the series pumped out more than 20 games, with the most recent
being Need for Speed Unbound. Released in December 2022, the latest title in
the franchise is currently sitting at a Mixed rating with more than 40,000
reviews on Steam.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ea-is-reporte...
need-for-speed-franchise-164807626.html?src=rss

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