"New Need For Speed Release Delayed"

EA’s Executive Vice President Vince Zampella recently provided an update on the current state of the Need for Speed (NFS) series. The last installment, NFS Unbound, was released over two years ago, and since then, EA has remained silent on any new developments for the franchise. The reason behind this silence is that Criterion Games, the studio responsible for NFS, is currently dedicated to the development of the next Battlefield game.

According to Zampella, EA's primary focus right now is on the new Battlefield project, which is being crafted with a strong emphasis on player feedback. This ambitious endeavor involves collaboration among four different studios, highlighting EA's commitment to getting it right this time. The aim is to avoid the pitfalls experienced with Battlefield 2042, which faced significant backlash due to its controversial gameplay choices upon release. This player-centric approach is also being applied to the ongoing support for NFS Unbound.

It appears that EA will likely shift its attention back to Need for Speed only after the launch and initial support phase of the new Battlefield game. This delay might actually benefit the NFS franchise. Recent titles have not met fan expectations, and taking a break could allow time for nostalgia to build and for the team to gather more player feedback. This could lead to a successful reboot of the series, aligning with what fans truly want.

In the meantime, fans should not anticipate any new Need for Speed announcements in the near future. EA is focused on delivering a Battlefield experience that resonates with its community, which might set a positive precedent for future NFS projects.