It has been almost three decades since the first title in the iconic Need for Speed franchise hit the market. Since then, it has become one the most recognizable name in racing games.
We all can recall those high-speed police chases and stylish street racing, fueling our adrenaline. But in 2025, something feels off. The franchise has gone unusually quiet, and many are now wondering: Is EA finally done with Need for Speed?
Need for Speed Is Missing And Fans Deserve Answers
While EA has not officially announced anything regarding the cancellation of this iconic and beloved franchise but the recent developments are not looking good, and this is hard to ignore. If you weren't aware, earlier this year, EA assigned Criterion Games, responsible for the franchise, to help with the development of the next Battlefield title, which is set to be released in somewhere around in mid-2026.
Although EA had mentioned that a small fraction of it would still be working on the NFS franchise but since then, no updates have been made.
The shutdown of Speedhunters, EA’s car culture website tied closely to the franchise, adds more weight to the theory that EA is potentially moving away, or at least taking a long break from, the series.
The site hasn’t posted new content in months, its social media has gone absolutely idle for months now, and contributors like Matthew Everingham confirmed it's been “put on ice” due to Need for Speed being shelved. In his Instagram post, he said:
"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.
I'm still shooting, just shifting gears into more video. Appreciate everyone who came along for the ride."
But maybe deep down, we all knew that this was inevitable. Especially, after Need for Speed Unbound's fate, which was release in 2022. The game didn’t quite hit the mark. Despite its bold art style and fresh take, the game didn’t generate the kind of buzz EA likely hoped for.
The other major factor that acted as a catalyst was that the growing dominance of franchises like Forza Horizon and Need for Speed started feeling outdated all of a sudden.
Still, many fans believe that this series doesn't need to die just because it is failing to perform in the market, as it used to. Instead, EA needs to do massive overhaul. The graphics and physics are one thing, but what fans think is missing is that passion. Something that recent Need for Speed editions seriously lacked.
And that's it. Stick with us at RacingGames.gg: the best site for Need for Speed coverage.