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Once upon a time, a steady flow of Need For Speed releases was a norm weโd all get used to. The annual release schedule was similar to other mega franchises like Call of Duty. But those golden days came to a grinding halt back in 2013, separating the Need For Speed release dates by 2 to 3 years at a time. Weโve now been waiting for almost 3 years with Unbound, and a new Need For Speed game has not even been announced yet. Why is that, Iโve recently been wondering, and when can we realistically expect a new installment? Hereโs everything Iโve found out, and everything you need to know about the upcoming Need For Speed title.
The Studio Working On Need For Speed Is Currently Busy With Battlefield
Letโs begin by answering the first question: Why arenโt there any new Need For Speed games or at least teasers and trailers on the internet right now? Thatโs because EA is investing it all in its upcoming Battlefield game that has not only Criterion, the developer of the recent NFS games but 3 other studios coherently working to deliver a new FPS thatโs going up against the likes of Call of Duty.
The UK-based EA studio will be assisting DICE, Ripple Effect, and Motive in building the new Battlefield game thatโs rumored to either release or get fully announced this year. For that reason, Criterion has mentioned in their blog posts for Need For Speed: Unbound that theyโre a small team now working on the seasonal content for the mentioned title.
A New Need For Speed Game Is Probably In Early Development
Speaking of the Need For Speed: Unbound blog posts, it seems like the developers have been trying to use this time as a chance to get feedback about different NFS game modes from the players. Now take this with a huge grain of salt, as nothing is ever confirmed about the next Need For Speed gameโs content, but I believe that the Unbound seasonal content and the implantation of several game modes like drift and drag racing with the focus on playersโ feedbacks has something to do with the next game.
Need For Speed: Unbound launched with almost nothing more than Heat had to offer. Unlike Heat, however, itโs getting updated for 2 years now, even bringing back Razor from NFS: Most Wanted 2005 to hype up the Lockdown mode which is the Escape From Tarkov of the racing games. In that sense, Criterion Games is almost certainly testing a whole bunch of stuff for their next Need For Speed game.
The Next Need For Speed Game Release Date
All that brings us to the conclusion, when are we getting a new Need For Speed game? As of right now, thereโs been no official news about a new NFS title, but if we look at the situation, itโs quite clear that 2025 isnโt the year. And there are a few good reasons for that.
First, 2025 is probably the year that EA is trying to go on a full focus for Battlefield. More importantly, this is the year that companies may try to avoid competition in the gaming industry because they donโt want their product to get overshadowed by a beast called GTA VI. In fact, maybe even the new Battlefield game get delayed to 2026, let alone an unconfirmed NFS title.
So if EA shows some generosity, 2026 is probably the year that a new Need For Speed gets released on consoles and PC. Worst case scenario, the game will be fully announced in 2026, and released in 2027. Any time beyond that will probably kill the hype for the game, at least for me.
