{"id":38968,"date":"2026-07-15T16:43:27","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:43:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/?p=38968"},"modified":"2026-07-15T16:43:27","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:43:27","slug":"criterion-leaves-possibility-for-need-for-speed-return-open-focused-on-battlefield-currently","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/?p=38968","title":{"rendered":"Criterion Leaves Possibility for Need For Speed Return Open, Focused on Battlefield Currently"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/div>\n

**Criterion Rebranded: A New Era as Criterion: A Battlefield Studio**<\/p>\n

Last week, Criterion celebrated its 30th anniversary with a significant rebranding, transforming into Criterion: A Battlefield Studio. Known for its high-octane racing titles like Burnout and managing the iconic Need For Speed series, Criterion has been an essential part of EA\u2019s gaming lineup, including contributing to the rebooted Star Wars: Battlefront. This rebranding marks a pivotal shift as Criterion will now focus exclusively on supporting EA’s Battlefield franchise alongside three other dedicated studios.<\/p>\n

Criterion’s involvement with the Battlefield series is not new; the studio has been contributing to the franchise since 2015 with Battlefield 1. However, this new designation signals a commitment to streamline its efforts exclusively towards enhancing the Battlefield experience, potentially signaling an end to other beloved projects.<\/p>\n

### The Potential for Creativity Within Constraints<\/p>\n

At the Develop Conference in Brighton, a critical question arose regarding the impact of this narrow focus on the studio’s creativity. Criterion senior producer Danny Isaac addressed this, pointing out that the expansive nature of the Battlefield franchise allows for creativity within its confines. He emphasized the variety of opportunities available through the different facets of Battlefield\u2014ranging from multiplayer modes to single-player campaigns and user-generated content.<\/p>\n

Isaac remarked, “The Battlefield franchise, now platform, is so vast there\u2019s a lot of opportunity.” He hinted at new innovations like RedSEC and battle royale modes, suggesting that such constraints might paradoxically foster creativity rather than stifle it. He quoted a sentiment shared by a colleague: \u201cgive me the freedom of a tightly constrained brief,\u201d indicating that limitations can inspire fresh ideas.<\/p>\n

### Collaborating within a Unique Portfolio<\/p>\n

Criterion\u2019s Director of Operations, Amy Pejic, reinforced the idea that the collaboration across EA’s four unique studios does not imply homogenization. \u201cConsistency isn\u2019t conformity,\u201d she stated, clarifying that each studio retains its identity and creative expression. The team dynamics within EA are designed to leverage the unique strengths of each studio, allowing for innovation while maintaining their distinct characteristics.<\/p>\n

### The Future of Criterion\u2019s Legacy Projects<\/p>\n

As questions loom about the fate of Criterion’s other beloved franchises\u2014particularly Need For Speed and Burnout\u2014both Isaac and Pejic offered measured responses. Isaac noted that while the studio is currently focused on Battlefield, changes within EA could open future opportunities. “I\u2019d never say never,” he stated, reflecting on the ongoing evolution within the company.<\/p>\n

Pejic echoed this flexibility, asserting that while Criterion is presently dedicated to Battlefield, the studio remains capable of developing diverse games in the future, depending on circumstances and opportunities.<\/p>\n

### Conclusion<\/p>\n

The transition to becoming Criterion: A Battlefield Studio signifies a pivotal chapter in the studio’s storied history. While it marks a temporary halt on other projects, the vast potential within the Battlefield franchise may yield innovative gameplay experiences. As Criterion embraces this focused path, both the team and the gaming community will be eager to see how creativity thrives within this new framework.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/div>\n

Last week, to mark its 30th anniversary, EA rebranded Criterion as Criterion: A Battlefield Studio. The storied studio that created Burnout and in recent years has shepherded the Need For Speed series, as well as working on the rebooted Star Wars: Battlefront<\/a>, will become just one of the four studios supporting EA’s fresh Battlefield push.<\/p>\n

This isn’t the first time Criterion have contributed to Battlefield, the Guildford studio have been involved since 2015’s Battlefield 1<\/a>, but the rebranding marks an end to working on other projects.<\/p>\n

Or is it?<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38969,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38968\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/38969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gaitgames.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}