The next Need for Speed game could end up as a console exclusive
Rumour says that Criterion Games is shifting to "next-gen only"
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
The next Need for Speed game could be next-gen exclusive according to a recent claim from industry insider Jeff Grubb.
In the latest episode of the Grubbsnax podcast, Grubb says that the untitled new Need for Speed title - which is currently being developed by Criterion Games - is "still coming this year." In fact, Grubb even went as far as saying that the racing game is expected to release in November 2022, however, without official confirmation from EA or Criterion this could very well be subject to change.
Perhaps most interesting though is that Grubb has also claimed that "[Criterion] are shifting to next-gen only for that." Meaning it’s possible that the next Need for Speed game could be an Xbox Series X and PS5 exclusive. But again, it’s best to take this claim with a grain of salt until we get the official word on this. So there is no need to start panic buying a next-gen console just yet.
The last Need for Speed game to release was Need for Speed: Heat back in 2019. That project was developed by Ghost Games for EA before the series was returned to main developer Criterion in 2020 - who also worked on the recently released Battlefield 2042. Speaking of Battlefield, it appears Battlefield 6 is actually responsible for delaying the new Need for Speed as revealed by EA chief studios officer Laura Miele last year.
Wondering what you should play in the meantime? Take a look at our list of best Need for Speed games for inspiration.
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training. My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.


