Need for Speed Developer Criterion Absorbs a Codemasters Studio

ign.com:

Criterion Games has absorbed a part of fellow EA studio Codemasters to double down its development of a new Need for Speed.

Codemasters' Cheshire studio - which most recently worked on Onrush - has spent the last few months developing a "close partnership" with, and is now officially a part of, Need for Speed developer Criterion.

Announced on Codemasters' Twitter (below), the developer said the collaboration will "create the future of Need for Speed, forming one Criterion studio with two location hubs."

We can confirm Criterion Games and the development team at Codemasters Cheshire are officially coming together to create the future of @NeedforSpeed, forming one Criterion studio with two location hubs. [1/3]

It added: "This integration builds off the close partnership the two studios have developed over the past few months. Sharing common values and similar cultures, we strongly believe unifying the huge wealth of expertise across both teams will help us to deliver the best racing experiences we can for our players."

It appears Criterion is ready to speed up development on its untitled Need for Speed game after it was delayed to instead focus on EA's Battlefield 2042.

Very little has been said about the game since it was announced in February 2020, with EA only confirming the series would return to Criterion following a three-game stint with Ghost Games (now EA Gothenburg). Criterion developed 2012's Need for Speed: Most Wanted and is well-known for the Burnout series.

It's also unlikely the absorption of the Cheshire team will affect Codemasters' upcoming F1 22 as it still has four other studios, with the Birmingham office leading development on the Formula 1 series.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers