Better known for their work on racing classics like Need for Speed and Burnout, Criterion Games is no stranger to helping DICE out with Battlefield (and the last two Battlefront games). EA has once again shifted them to help DICE out in the final push for this year’s Battlefield game.
The news comes in a note from Chief Studios Officer Laura Miele.
First, Miele describes the next Battlefield as “coming together to be an exceptional game, not just for this year but also for the future of this powerful brand.” It should also reach Alpha earlier than any other Battlefield game, according to Miele.
“We want to build on our position of strength, focus on the opportunity in front of us, and set our game makers up for success to deliver the best experience possible to our players this fall. So, we are making a bold move – Criterion is joining DICE and DICE L.A. to focus on Battlefield.”
Criterion has helped DICE before with development on Star Wars Battlefront, Battlefront 2, and Battlefield V.
Plus, EA’s racing lineup was recently bolstered with the acquisition of Codemasters. And with several Codemasters games coming later this year, this week’s decision was likely an easy one.
Miele also cited the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as another reason for the shift in development resources.
“We’ve accomplished a lot, have learned a lot, and these things are now informing our path forward. One of the key learnings over the past year is it does take more time to make games from home, and we have to balance that need with team health. The best way to set our teams up for success in this environment is to be focused and ensure our biggest projects have the resources they need to deliver for our players.”
As for Criterion’s next Need for Speed game? That’s still coming, but the release date will slip to 2022.
“Criterion is one of the strongest racing studios in the industry, and the work they have accomplished on the next Need For Speed™ is truly inspired and will breathe new life into one of our most storied brands. We’re going to give Criterion the time to reach the game’s full promise and deliver it in FY23.”
We’ve hardly seen anything at all on the next Battlefield outside of a brief tech demo tease during last year’s EA Play.
All I ask EA is you give us a multiplayer trailer like this.