EA Delays Need for Speed for Battlefield
Electronic Arts has officially allocated Criterion Games to help EA DICE on the Battlefield franchise. While the upkeep on Battlefield V has slowed down in recent months, it looks like Criterion Games and EA DICE are working on an upcoming unannounced Battlefield title. EA chief studios officer Laura Miele has confirmed that this Battlefield title is coming this Fall, but we have yet to see it. Battlefield V is available right now for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and through the extensive Xbox Game Pass Ultimate lineup through EA Play.
The next Need for Speed and Battlefield games were expected to release by March 2022, but this shift in direction will leave Need for Speed in the dust as Battlefield is prioritized. This shift in focus was sparked by working from home due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, allowing both teams to come together to finish the upcoming Battlefield to presumably ensure quality.
Criterion Games only took over the development of the Need for Speed franchise in 2020 after a few lacklustre releases from Ghost Games. Upon the completion of the upcoming Battlefield title, it’s expected that Criterion will return to Need for Speed in order to still reach a 2022 release. Electronic Arts has been doing a broader restructure on top of the shift in focus towards Battlefield, with multiple plans being abandoned. Support for Anthem was canceled, while Dragon Age’s multiplayer components have apparently been axed as well.
Are you glad that EA is supporting the upcoming Battlefield so much? What do you expect from the next Need for Speed? Let us know in the comments below!