An interview with Criterion Games’ General Manager, Isabelle Coutaz, was conducted to celebrate the game development studio’s 30th anniversary recently. In that interview, Coutaz made a definitive statement about the future of the studio, stating that, “We are solely focused on Battlefield.” Criterion Games has officially confirmed that the studio is now solely focusing on the development of Battlefield titles, making the first-person shooter franchise their long-term focus with no Criterion teams currently working on new racing titles. This move can be seen as the completion of a gradual shift, as EA began to move Criterion towards Battlefield development a few years ago.
Back in 2023, EA assigned Criterion to actively assist DICE in the development of Battlefield projects, telling them that the Need for Speed franchise would “continue elsewhere”. Then, back in 2025, Criterion Games had a branding shift, now referred to as “A Battlefield Studio.” Now, the transition to Battlefield is now complete, with the studio now confirming that the franchise is going to be its exclusive focus going forward. Interestingly enough, Criterion has not distanced itself from the Burnout franchise. The series of arcade racers remain deeply tied to the studio and its history. It seems that Criterion will continue to recognize the importance of the franchise to their history and identity, even if it currently has no new entries in development. The Need for Speed franchise is in a similar position: while the racing series is not cancelled or discontinued, there is no official announcement of a developer working on the next Need for Speed game, making its future uncertain.
The language of the statement may cause fans of Criterion and EA’s endeavors in the racing genre to fear the worst. However, this statement does not mean that Burnout is dead, that Need for Speed is dead, that EA is abandoning racing games entirely, or that Criterion will never make another racing game. Rather, this is the natural result of the direction Criterion Games was steering towards. While the game studio may be known for its racing game history, it has also spent several years contributing to the Battlefield franchise. The team enjoyed collaborating with the broader Battlefield Studios organization and seems to be committed to helping shape the FPS’s future.