According to industry insider and GiantBomb reporter Jeff Grubb, the latest entry in the acclaimed racing series, Need For Speed 2022, which was first rumored to launch in November, has been delayed by one month. As first spotted by VGC, Jeff claimed in a Twitch live stream that the new Need For Speed game will release in December, and Electronic Arts is gearing up to reveal what is in the works in the coming months.
He went on to say: “They delayed it to December, one month. They’re going to take a few extra weeks before showing it off. It seems that Criterion just got sidetracked a little bit, way back when it was working on Battlefield and that had a ripple effect.”
Having received harsh criticism from players for Battlefield 2042, we can deduce that Electronic Arts will take a cautious approach before officially revealing the game.
A short gameplay clip from the next mainline Need For Speed game was leaked online a few days ago, displaying a classic car not accelerating fast enough to pass through a giant obstacle. The clip then wraps up with an NPC passing by the screen. Although the three-second snippet does not show much, players can expect Need For Speed to feature a massive open world like the Horizon series, allowing players to spend hours roaming around and participating in various events.
The main reason for the delay could be that Electronic Arts wants to reveal the game in its best form to avoid player backlash. Also, Criterion Studio may have had a word on the decision due to the development team needing more time to polish the game. Electronic Arts has already confirmed that the new Need For Speed game will have photorealistic graphics mixed with anime elements. The upcoming racing title is also expected to launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Criterion Software will take over the newest game in the Need For Speed franchise after having recently served as an assistant studio for Star Wars Battlefront 2. However, Electronic Arts’ internal company made itself a name for its excellent work on Need For Speed: Most Wanted 2 and Need For Speed Rivals, both of which received positive feedback from players. Additionally, the studio worked in collaboration with Stellar Entertainment to create the remastered version of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, which was released back in 2020. We’re likely to hear more about the new Need For Speed game in the coming weeks.
