2021 Without Need for Speed. Criterion Will Help on Battlefield 6

After several underwhelming Need for Speed games, EA decided to reassign the team at Criterion Games to help DICE with its upcoming Battlefield 6, due out this fall on PC and next-gen consoles. This was prompted by the acquisition of Codemasters by EA, who didn't want the newly acquired studio's latest racing game, due out this year, to compete with Criterion's work. Of course, this does not mean the end of the Need for Speed franchise (which recently happened to Anthem), but it will have to wait until next year, which may do it good.

In an interview with Polygon, EA's chief studio officer Laura Miele justified the decision to back DICE on the grounds that the studio's staff are working hard to get the latest Battlefield out in time for the fall release, made all the more difficult by the ongoing pandemic and remote working. The addition of another team is expected to ease the burden on the Swedes developing the new FPS, which is expected to be the most ambitious game in the series and a "love letter to the fans", suggesting that the title will return to modern day setting.

Miele also said that Criterion would continue to be responsible for the Need for Speed brand, so future Codemasters productions would likely be sequels to F1 or DiRT, or the start of an entirely new series of games. The future NfS has been announced for PC, as well as current and last-gen consoles.