Electronic Arts (EA) may have quietly shelved its long-running Need for Speed franchise, according to a report shared by a contributor to the car culture website Speedhunters.
Matthew Everingham, one of Speedhunters’ contributors, revealed on Instagram that EA has cut funding for the site, reportedly due to putting the Need for Speed series on hold. “Speedhunters is on ice. EA shelved Need For Speed, and that means no more funding for the site,” Everingham said.
Speedhunters has not published new content since April 8, 2025, further fueling speculation that the website’s shutdown is linked to EA’s internal decisions about its racing franchise. EA had previously funded Speedhunters as part of its promotional and cultural efforts tied to the Need for Speed brand.
A Struggling Franchise
The possible shelving of Need for Speed may not come as a surprise to long-time fans. The franchise has faced a series of underwhelming releases in recent years. Between 2015 and 2019, the three titles developed primarily by Ghost Games failed to meet expectations, both critically and commercially.
In 2022, Need for Speed Unbound—co-developed by Criterion Games and Codemasters—fared better but still did not achieve the sales success needed to secure a sequel, according to industry insiders.
In September 2023, EA moved Criterion Games to its EA Entertainment division to focus on the Battlefield franchise. Criterion was reportedly tasked with supporting Battlefield 6, including its single-player and multiplayer content.
This shift in priorities suggests that EA may have decided to focus more resources on Battlefield, which the company expects to attract up to 100 million players—a goal far beyond what racing games typically reach.
For comparison, even the highly successful Forza Horizon 5 has “only” reached about 45 million players, including Xbox Game Pass users.
Online Support for Older Titles Ending
In related news, EA has announced that online support for Need for Speed: Rivals, the 2013 title co-developed by Criterion and Ghost Games, will officially end on October 7, 2025.
So far, EA has not officially confirmed that the Need for Speed series is canceled or permanently shelved. However, the decision to pause development, cut associated projects like Speedhunters, and prioritize other franchises points to an uncertain future for the iconic racing game series.
