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EA has already confirmed that the next iteration of its flagship racing franchise, Need for Speed, will be debuting in 2022.
Since its debut in 1994, the Need for Speed franchise has grown to be one of the biggest arcade racing franchises. Though some of the franchise's iterations have failed to live up to its name, Need for Speed has led the way for many other arcade racing games.
Over the years, multiple studios have taken charge of the franchise, with Ghost Games shaping the franchise since 2013’s Need for Speed Rivals. But with Ghost Games renamed EA Gothenburg and returning to the role of a support studio, Criterion is taking up the franchise once again.
Will the next Need for Speed be revealed at EA Play Live 2021
Electronic Arts has already announced the dates for the upcoming EA Play Live, where games developed and published by them are all set to take center stage. However, the only question in the head of racing fans is: Will the next Need for Speed be revealed at EA Play 2021?
Since 2013’s Need for Speed Rivals, Ghost Games has developed the series on a bi-annual basis. The titles developed by them are:
- Need for Speed Rivals (2013)
- Need for Speed (2015)
- Need for Speed Payback (2017)
- Need for Speed Heat (2019)
All these titles were revealed around the E3 period, with a release date later the same year. Based on previous iterations, a new Need for Speed was expected in 2021, with the speculated reveal in EA Play 2021.
However, in February 2020, during an internal restructure, Ghost Games reverted to a support studio role under the name EA Gothenburg. It was also revealed that Criterion, who previously developed Need for Speed Hot Pursuit (2010) and Need for Speed Most Wanted (2012) and is also known for the Burnout franchise, will take charge of Need for Speed once again.
Fans also found out that the game was delayed to 2022, along with a work in progress poster showcasing two cars.
Criterion released the Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remasted earlier this year with an excellent critical review but a lousy user review on Metacritic, with the most common complaint being that of a cash grab with minimal effort.
Since the upcoming Need for Speed game was initially planned for 2021, it might be revealed on EA Play Live with just a cinematic teaser and title, with the gameplay reveal scheduled for 2022. However, neither the developers nor the publisher has confirmed anything one way or another.
