Criterion Seemingly Working on New Need for Speed

Need for Speed Unbound raced onto PC and consoles late last year. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite the return to form we were hoping for.

With slow sales and a muted reception, you wouldn’t think a new Need for Speed game would be a high priority for EA. However, a new job listing seemingly confirms that Criterion is working on a new Need for Speed game.

Criterion wants to take Need for Speed “to the next level”

As spotted on Reddit, Criterion is advertising a job role for a World Artist to “take the Need For Speed franchise to the next level.”

“With a proud history working on beloved franchises including Battlefield, Star Wars Battlefront and Burnout, we’re now challenging the conventions of the racing genre to take the Need For Speed franchise to the next level,” the job advert reads.

The listing goes on to say the World Artist will “help us on our new and exciting endeavour to create an open world offering the player a fast, visceral and authentic experience.”

Although Unbound wasn’t a huge sales hit, EA seemingly has a long-term vision for the franchise. Last year, DiRT 5 developer Codemasters Evo merged with Criterion to “create the future of Need For Speed.”

If Criterion is working on a new NFS, it remains to be seen if it will be a direct Unbound sequel or a new entry.

Need for Speed Most Wanted remake rumoured

However, the job listing may be referring to the rumoured Need for Speed Most Wanted remake.

A few weeks ago, Simone Bailly, who played Sgt. Cross' partner Mia in the original Most Wanted, announced on Twitter that a Need for Speed Most Wanted remake is coming in 2024.

Notably, she also tagged Criterion in the post. However, this isn’t verified by EA and the Tweet was swiftly deleted.

One of the beloved Need for Speed games of all time, Need for Speed Most Wanted was originally released in 2005. Set in the fictional city of Rockport, Most Wanted is a fan-favourite entry in the NFS franchise thanks to its thrilling police pursuits and deep car customisation.

It also spawned one of the most iconic cars in racing games in the form of the custom BMW M3 GTR.

If Criterion is back behind the wheel, it will be the studio’s second NFS game to adopt the Most Wanted name. Released back in 2012, the last Most Wanted game was a sequel to the 2010 Hot Pursuit reboot, but it had little in common with the original game.