Criterion is getting bigger!
Published: 12th May 2022 | Source: Codemasters | Author: Mark Campbell
EA and Codemasters have forged a new racing dream team to handle the future of Need for Speed
EA has confirmed that they have merged Codemasters Cheshire with Criterion Games to form a larger studio that will handle the future of the Need for Speed franchise. This change will form a larger Criterion Games that will be based around two development hubs.
Codemasters Cheshire is the studio that rose from the ashes of Evolution Studios, the racing developer behind the Motorstorm series. This studio was formed by Codemasters when Sony shut down Evolution in 2016. Last year, EA acquired Codemasters for $1.2 billion, giving EA ownership of Codemasters' talent and IP. EA has confirmed that Codemasters Birmingham continues to work on their popular Formula 1 franchise.
The union of Criterion and Codemasters Cheshire brings together a lot of dedicated racing talent and experience, both of which will be vital when it comes to delivering the best racing games. Bringing Codemasters' talent into the Need for Speed franchise is an easy way for EA to utilise Codemasters.
We can confirm Criterion Games and the development team at Codemasters Cheshire are officially coming together to create the future of Need for Speed, forming one Criterion studio with two location hubs.
This integration builds off the close partnership the two studios have developed over the past few months. Sharing common values and similar cultures, we strongly believe unifying the huge wealth of expertise across both teams will help us to deliver the best racing experiences we can for our players.
Things are changing for Need for Speed
Between 2013 and 2020, Ghost Games, now called EA Gothenberg, oversaw the development of the Need for Speed franchise, taking the reins from Criterion. Now, EA has decided to shake things up again by returning the Need for Speed franchise to Criterion, while also adding talent from Codemasters and Evolution Studios into the mix.
With future Need for Speed titles, it is likely that EA will be moving away from the company's Frostbite Engine and use something that is better suited to racing games. This is where Codemasters' expertise could prove vital, as it could allow Criterion to utilise technology that is purpose-built for racing games.
It looks like EA's investing a lot into Criterion and the Need for Speed franchise, and that should be seen as great news for fans of the franchise. Things needed to change to make Need for Speed more popular, and it looks like EA's making those changes happen.
You can join the discussion on Criterion merging with Codemasters Cheshire to create future Need for Speed games on the OC3D Forums .