EA Announces Its Axing Support for NFS Unbound

EA said it will move Criterion Games, the studio behind NFS Unbound, to work on Battlefield while also stopping any new content for the racing game.

NFS Unbound to be Left Without Further Support

It’s no secret that NFS Unbound has had a rough life over the few years since it was released just over two years ago. And it looks like things won’t get better as EA has recently confirmed they are ending support for the racer as its developer will now focus attention on the next Battlefield.

Criterion Games, based in the UK, made NFS Unbound and launched it in December of 2022 to a somewhat mixed reception. While the title received generally favorable reviews from critics on Xbox and PS5, the PC version of the game wasn’t as fortunate. According to Metacritic, Unbound received a not-so-great 73/100 on PC. Meanwhile, its user rating stands at a somewhat average 5.8/10.  

Vince Zampella, Head of Respawn & Group GM for EA Studios Organization, said that Criterion’s staff will now be put to work on Battlefield. According to him, it was important for EA to take the last year to listen to the Need for Speed community and use their feedback to create content for Unbound.

“With an increased understanding of what our players want in a Need for Speed experience, we plan to bring the franchise back in new and interesting ways,” Zampella further explained, suggesting that the company intends to come back to the franchise at a later date.

Will There Be a New NFS Game Soon?

Of course, Zampella’s statement is rather vague, and considering EA has its hands full with other projects now, NFS Unbound fans might be in for a long wait before a new game from the series arrives. Currently, EA’s Motive studio, the one behind the remakes of Dead Space and Star Wars: Squadrons, is also working on both the future of Battlefield as well as an Iron Man game. Meanwhile, both DICE and Ripple Effect, two other studios that have previously worked on older Battlefield games, are also working on the next one as well.

However, if you’re an avid Need for Speed fan, then why not try the NFS: Underground 2 Unreal Engine 5 version? While it’s still in development, this fan-made remake/update promises to bring the coveted mid-2000s videogame legends into the current decade with updated graphics and some nice quality-of-life changes.

Ultimately, only time will tell if EA will order one of its studios to work on a new Need for Speed title.