EA Allegedly Shelves Need for Speed Series as Focus Shifts to Battlefield and Madden

Need for Speed/NFS (Image Credit: EA)

Electronic Arts seems to be hitting the brakes on its iconic Need for Speed series, as rumors suggest the franchise has been shelved for now.

The information came via photojournalist Matthew Everingham, a longtime contributor to Speedhunters — a car culture website funded by EA — posted on Facebook that the site was “on ice.” His post directly linked the site’s closure to EA shelving Need for Speed, stating:

“Speedhunters is on ice. EA shelved Need For Speed, and that means no more funding for the site. Grateful for everything — the trips, the stories, the lifelong mates.”

It’s not just talk, either. Speedhunters hasn’t posted new content in months, their social media profile pictures have gone dark, and the online store is now offline. While this doesn't serve as a direct confirmation, it adds weight to the growing speculation.

According to earlier reports, EA had already begun shifting gears back in late 2023. Criterion Games — the team behind 2022’s Need for Speed Unbound — was reassigned to work on Battlefield. EA did mention at the time that a smaller group would still be working on future NFS ideas, but that silence since then has been telling.

Criterion is now part of a four-studio squad focused on building a connected Battlefield universe, with emphasis on single-player content. Meanwhile, Ghost Games, the previous Need for Speed studio, was rebranded as EA Gothenburg and moved into a support role in 2020.

This potential shelving comes at a pretty rough time for racing fans. Just recently, Forza Motorsport was canceled, and Codemasters — also owned by EA — announced it’s pausing its popular rally racing titles. So if you’re a racing game fan, the road ahead looks kinda empty.

EA seems to be all-in on its big-ticket projects right now, like Battlefield 6 and Madden NFL 26. With Madden set for an October 2025 release and EA’s multi-year deal with the NFL, it’s clear where their resources and priorities are going.

And let’s be honest — Need for Speed hasn’t exactly been in top gear lately. While titles like Gran Turismo and Forza Horizon have dominated the racing scene, NFS has struggled to stay relevant. Still, it hurts seeing a childhood favorite quietly fade into the background.

For now, there’s no official confirmation from EA about the cancellation, so technically, there’s still a tiny bit of hope. Hopefully, this is just a temporary pit stop.