EA hints at Need for Speed 2022 release date

It’s no secret that Criterion Games, the studio behind Burnout Paradise and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, is working on the next Need for Speed game with the help of Codemasters Cheshire.

While rumours suggest Need for Speed 2022 is on track for a November release, EA hasn’t officially announced a release date yet. However, EA’s earnings reports are providing clues.

Need for Speed 2022 releasing in Financial Year 23 Q3

During a Q3 2022 Earnings Call earlier this year, EA confirmed that Criterion’s next Need for Speed game will release in the 2023 financial year, which ends 1 April, 2023. Now, EA has provided a more specific release window.

EA’s Q4 2022 Earnings Slide reveals the new Need for Speed game will launch in Financial Year 23 Q3. This confirms the next Need for Speed game will release this year between 1 October and 31 December 2022, making the rumoured November release increasingly likely.

"EA Sports & Racing are set to grow significantly in FY '23. We have six new EA SPORTS titles this year with more in development,” said Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson during the Q4 2022 Earnings Call transcribed by The Motley Fool.

“Our pipeline for this year and future years features big, beloved IP that we cannot wait for players to experience, including Need for Speed, Dead Space, Star Wars, The Sims, Skate, our Bioware franchises and Lord of the Rings.”

When will Need for Speed 2022 be revealed?

With Need for Speed potentially releasing in October this year at the earliest, an official reveal shouldn’t be too far away. E3 and EA Play Live 2022 are cancelled, but we expect Need for Speed 2022 will be revealed this summer around June or July.

Rumours suggest Need for Speed 2022 will be set in a fictionalised version of Chicago called Lake Shore City. While EA hasn’t confirmed this, a screenshot showing the in-game map allegedly leaked online last month.

Criterion’s new take on Need for Speed will also reportedly incorporate a photorealistic visual style mixed with anime elements and launch on current-gen consoles only.