We are all familiar with the Need for Speed name; the games have been part of every gamer’s childhood. Being one of the most pioneering “car” games of all time, Need for Speed has been the cornerstone of racing games since the 90s. With popular titles like Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, Underground, Most Wanted 05, Rivals, and Heat. The games are loved by fans of car culture and gaming enthusiasts alike. NFS has been those OG classics that no matter where you are, you have probably heard or played a Need for Speed Game.
But the times have not been too kind to the series, with flops in a row, to now the official news from EA, Need for Speed is being put on hold for the foreseeable future. This news of Need for Speed being shut down temporarily has not gone down well with the long-time fans of the series. With many blaming EA for abandoning a fan-favourite racing game, loved by the gaming community. Let’s take a look at why EA just slammed the brakes on Need for Speed Games.
All Need for Speed Games and Legacy
Let’s take a look at the rise of the All the Need for Speed games in the series. From the very first in 1994, from the original creators, Distinctive Software. Through its street racing era with EA Black Box’s heydays, to the bittersweet decline that followed.
Birth of Need for Speed Games (1994)
The legendary franchise began with the original The Need for Speed in 1994, developed by Distinctive Software. Which later turned into EA Canada, NFS 1994 was one of the first racing games released for the MS-DOS, Original PlayStation and the Sega Saturn. The game used reasitic physics, licensed car models from Porcshe, Ferrari, Lamborghini and more.
Developed by Distinctive in collaboration with the Road and Track Magazine. The original was loved for its simulation of racing cars on a pixelated road across mountains, tracks, and roads. Being a huge hit, Need for Speed
NFS Golden Era (1997-2005)
EA Canada stayed on as the developers for the initial titles of the NFS series. With hits that included NFS 2 and Hot Pursuit, and Hot Pursuit 2. Before EA passed the reins to developer Black Box in 2002.
This is when the Need for Speed name became a global phenomenon. EA Black Box took the series to a whole new direction with its Street Racing formula and Tuner culture. Introducing games like NFS Underground, Most Wanted, and Carbon. Turning the mid-2000s into a peak era for gamers and racing games. The Black Box era of Need for Speed is often regarded as the NFS Golden Era. Loved for its edgier narratives, characters, full-blown customisation for the cars, crazy liveries, and tuner setups.
The mid-2000s era of Need for Speed Games is truly the time when NFS was on top. Highly regarded as the best arcade-style racing game on the market. With references to the actual car culture of the time and the tuner boom era, the series looked unstoppable.
The Criterion Era (2009-2012)
Between 09 and 12, EA tried new experiments with the NFS Series, introducing more simulation-type racing and even an MMO with NFS World, but to no avail. Fans lost interest in the new Need for Speed Games due to the lack of good racing and themes of the beloved car culture.
But then came the age of Criterion, an EA in-house developer. Criterion games started with the Hot Pursuit reboot, bringing the series back to the Cops vs Racers narrative. Which in turn became a hit with long-time fans of the series, leading to EA greenlighting another reboot, this time, it was Most Wanted.
Need for Speed: Most Wanted 2012 was released with good reviews, but was more of a miss than a hit with the original Most Wanted fans. MW 2012 lacked the intensity, soundtrack and character that made the og MW a cultural icon. This is when EA decided to switch developers to Ghost Games, now known as EA Gothenburg, for future titles in the series. Criterion ended up only supporting the next game (Rivals) in the series.
Need for Speed Games Reboot (2013-2020)
Tho Ghost Games released NFS Rivals for positive reviews, it was a hit with fans for its realistic physics, immersive graphics, and its sense of Speed. The actual reboot for the series came in the shape of Need for Speed 2015. Promising a return to car culture and bringing the in-depth customisation back to Need for Speed. Then came the launch, and it became a commercial hit for EA but bombed in fan reception.
Without a doubt Need for Speed 2015 is one of the most stunning Racing Games out there visually, but it lacked a soul. The customization was not on par with previous games, the story was rushed, and the map was very small and bare bones. But the biggest drawback of the game was that it was an always online game.
After that, Ghost delivered Payback and Heat, but the reception was mixed, with praise for Heat and Payback being a little modern-day Fast and Furious. Ghost Games did try something different with NFS, but the series never saw its rise in popularity like the Golden Era. With Heat being the last NFS under Ghost, EA again returned the reins to Criterion.
Return of Criterion (2020-Present)
Criterion returned to the fold in 2020 with the full-time development of the next entry in the Series, NFS Unbound. While a good racing game, Unbound was rather different from what Need For Speed was known for. Gone were the brutal police chases, edgy stories, and adrenaline-pumping soundtracks. In return were cartoonish animations, pop tracks, and lackluster stories.
While some fans loved it and Criterion supported the game with updates. It was announced in February 2025 that Need for Speed Unbound would receive no future updates or content drops. With that, the majority of Criterion’s Staff was shifted to focus on the upcoming Battlefield Game. While a minimal skeleton crew was placed in charge to keep Unbound on support.
Last Chance to Play This Need for Speed Game Before Server Shutdown
Ok, before you learn why EA just slammed the brakes on Need for Speed Games. EA just announced that one of the most popular Need For Speed Games, NFS Rivals, will be shutting down its multiplayer server by the end of this year. Also announced were three other games that will see their multiplayer servers shut down. Including the server shutdown for NHL 21, Madden 22, and FIFA 23. These come after the announcement of Anthem Server Shutdown.
This is your last chance to play these EA Games with your friends before the servers go offline on:
- NHL 21 – Oct 6
- Need For Speed Rivals – Oct 7
- Madden NFL 22 – Oct 20
- FIFA 23 – Oct 30
But Why Did EA Hit “Pause” on Need for Speed Games?
Confirmed by EA itself, The Need for Speed Games are on a indefinite hold. EA CEO Vince Zampella promises they’ll bring it back “in new and interesting ways,” but for now, the future of NFS is uncertain. The company has also pulled funding from the highly popular Car Culture initiative, The Speedhunters.
There are two reasons why EA is shelving the Series, and it all boils down to profits and focus. The last few entries in the series have not been able to make up the numbers for EA. Unbound, while liked by fans, didn’t even come close to the sales of NFS Heat. Dropping a whopping 64% in sales, even earlier entries by Ghost dropped in substantial sales and fan reception. This sales performance has led EA to think of Need for Speed as a not-so-profitable “investment”.
My Take: I mean, just make a good game already, and fans will pay for Need for Speed. The only reason Need for Speed games are not seeing a revival is because. There hasn’t been a fully packaged Need for Speed Game since Rivals.
The second is a shift in focus to larger IPs and a live-service formula for EA Games like Battlefield, Madden, and FIFA titles. Rather than focus on single-player or niche-driven titles like Need for Speed. EA is cashing in on bigger well well-known IPs that can make quick profits. Evident by its massive aim of hitting 100 million players with Battlefield 6
proven by the majority of Criterion Team being reassigned to help in the development of Battlefield 6.
While fans would love a good Battlefield Game, will it be worth it at the cost of a beloved series being put on pause? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The End of the Road for Need for Speed
For millions of fans, this news is bittersweet. From racing Ferraris on mountain roads in the 90s, to tearing through neon streets in Underground, or outrunning cops in Most Wanted in your BMW M3 GTR. Need for Speed wasn’t just a game; it was a part of gamers’ growing up, of late-night sessions, epic wins, and unforgettable soundtracks.
While it’s hard to see this iconic series shelved for the moment, we’ll keep the memories close and hope the next time we start those engines, it’ll be better than ever. Until then, Bus Stop’s that way, Champ.
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