EA delays Need for Speed, puts Criterion on Battlefield 6

Published , by Donovan Erskine

Though we’ve yet to get a proper reveal, we know that EA is planning to release Battlefield 6 later this year. With the game in its final year of development, EA is looking to put efforts into overdrive. Now, EA has made the move to delay Need for Speed to 2022, taking the Criterion team and putting them on BF6 to support development.

This news comes from Polygon, as the outlet recently spoke to Laura Miele, EA’s chief studios officer. Originally set to launch in 2021, EA has pushed the release of Need for Speed by roughly a year. This is so that Criterion, the studio working on Need for Speed, can shift its full focus to aiding DICE with development on the next Battlefield game. In Miele's discussion with Polygon, she states that part of the reason for the delay was the ongoing pandemic.

What’s interesting, is that she also speaks to the recent Codemasters acquisition. Miele state’s that EA will release a racing game later this year by way of Codemasters, which made the decision to delay Need for Speed much easier. It’s not been specified what title this will be, but expect a new Codemasters game later this year.

It’s unclear in what capacity Criterion will be involved with Battlefield 6’s development, but the game is still set to launch this year, as confirmed in a recent EA earning’s call. For the latest news and updates on Battlefield 6, as well as the recently delayed Need for Speed, stay right here on Shacknews.