“Never say never”: Criterion aren’t ruling out a return to Need For Speed, but Battlefield is their only focus for now
EA has rebranded Criterion Games as “Criterion: A Battlefield Studio” to mark the developer’s 30th anniversary, consolidating the studio’s resources around the military shooter franchise. The Guildford-based studio, historically known for creating Burnout, will now operate as one of four studios supporting Battlefield’s development.
Criterion has contributed to Battlefield since 2015’s Battlefield 1, making the rebranding a natural evolution. However, the move effectively ends the studio’s work on other EA franchises, including the Need For Speed series they have recently shepherded and their contributions to the Star Wars: Battlefront reboot.
Despite the rebranding suggesting an exclusive focus on Battlefield, Criterion’s leadership has indicated they remain open to future work on other properties. When asked about potential returns to franchises like Need For Speed, studio representatives offered a measured response, suggesting that strategic priorities may shift over time. The reorganization aligns with industry trends of concentrating development talent on live-service flagship titles to maximize ongoing support for commercially important games.