The next instalment in the Need for Speed franchise has been delayed, with lead developer Criterion Games being moved to support development on the next Battlefield game. The game was originally set to release sometime in fiscal year 2022 (April 2021 – March 2022), but will now look to release in fiscal year 2023 (April 2022 – March 2023).

Speaking to Polygon, EA’s chief studios officer Laura Miele stated that the decision was made so that Criterion can assist EA DICE with development on the next Battlefield game. Miele also explained that upcoming releases from the recently acquired Codemasters and pandemic working conditions meant that this reassignment was ultimately a rational decision from the publisher.

When asked about the decision, Miele said that the EA DICE team had “pushed hard” throughout 2020, and acknowledged the difficulties of working remotely, noting that “the team is fatigued a bit.” Additionally, Miele praised the effort and work that DICE have put into the latest Battlefield instalment.

“We have a great game and some incredible potential with this game” Miele said. “We’re playing to win; we’re playing to put a great Battlefield game out in the market.”

Such fighting talk will surely be seen as a positive sign for fans of the popular FPS franchise after Battlefield V received a somewhat lukewarm reception. In contrast, this undoubtedly comes as a disappointment for Need for Speed fans, after EA handed the series back to Criterion following lacklustre releases from Ghost Games, who now act as a support studio for the Frostbite engine.

With so many projects in the works across EA’s multiple studios and the recent cancelation of Bioware’s Anthem Next, Miele was quick to insist that the publisher isn’t struggling with its assignments. “There’s no way we would have made a decision like this without including [Criterion] and discussing this with them first, and the impact that they could have on [Battlefield],” Miele explained. “They’ve worked on Battlefront, they’ve worked on Battlefields, and they have a really tight, close collaborative partnership with DICE. I’m really confident that this is going to be a pretty positive win for them.”

Criterion Games have been seen as somewhat of a companion studio to DICE in recent years, with the Guildford-based developer assisting on development of 2015’s Star Wars Battlefront, its 2017 sequel Star Wars Battlefront 2, and Battlefield 5’s Firestorm mode. The latter of these contributions was a battle royale mode that failed to come close to competitors such as Fortnite and Apex Legends, a title produced by fellow EA studio Respawn Entertainment.

Criterion Games aren’t the latest team to join development on the next Battlefield game, as Miele revealed that DICE LA, the studio run by Respawn founder Vince Zampella, are involved in the development of the game’s live service components. “They’ve been on it for over a year, and they’re doing some really exceptional things in live service.”

With the last two Battlefield games having taken place in the First and Second World Wars, rumours suggest the game will have a modern setting, with many fans calling for the long requested third instalment of the fan favourite Bad Company sub-series. Miele didn’t comment on any specific details regarding the latest Battlefield title, but did describe it as “a love letter to our fans.”