There used to be a time when the Need for Speed series was synonymous with the best racing games to play. However, over time, the games went from being great to average. The recent release of the series came in the form of 2022’s Need for Speed Unbound. While Unbound still had its fair share of issues, it was a good enough release from Criterion Games. Suffice it to say, Need for Speed Unbound left a lot to be desired. And that’s something many fans expect the upcoming Need for Speed will take care of. But when is it releasing exactly?
These days, when it comes to racing games, only Forza and Grid titles are considered the best. 2023 itself saw the release of games like Forza Motorsport, The Crew Motorfest, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2, F1 23, and many more. And, as you might have realized by now, there was no Need for Speed this year. These days, games take time, so when’s the next Need for Speed supposed to be released exactly? If you too are interested in knowing about the same, consider reading until the end.
Need for Speed (NFS) 2025 Release Date for PC, Xbox, & PS5
As of writing this, there isn’t really much information available on the upcoming Need for Speed title scheduled to be released in 2025. However, it is quite clear that Criterion Games is indeed working on the next Need for Speed game, as they released a job posting (now deleted). This is what the posting mentioned:
With a proud history working on beloved franchises including Battlefield, Star Wars Battlefront and Burnout, we’re now challenging the conventions of the racing genre to take the Need For Speed franchise to the next level
This pretty much confirms that a new NFS game is on its way, although a definite release window is still unknown. From 2002 to 2013, the Need for Speed series saw an annual game release. However, come 2013’s Need for Speed Rivals, the series saw a change in release timing, shifting to a two-year release cycle. However, the release of Unbound changed that due to Criterion being assigned to work on the development of BF 2042. But will the Need for Speed series’ release cycle be changed once again? If it doesn’t, it is possible that the upcoming game will be released in Q3/Q4 of 2024.
Switching to a longer development window can translate into something good for the series as evidenced by Unbound’s generally positive reaction from both the fans and the critics. And 2025 seems to be a good release window for the next Need for Speed title.
Criterion currently is focused on developing the Need for Speed games, after Ghost Games was restructured into an engineering support studio by EA. So, it would be best for them to take their time with developing the upcoming game with delicacy. While Criterion is more popular for developing the Burnout series, it seems that from now on, they will be focusing more and more on Need for Speed, with the license being transferred to them. Now, 2024 is just a few days away, and we are confident that we will get to hear more about the upcoming NFS game soon, including the platforms it will be releasing on. However, we are quite sure that the upcoming title will be available exclusively on PC, PS5, & Xbox Series X/S just like its predecessor. Well, for now, all we have to do is wait, and enjoy whatever racing games are available.
That’s all the info we currently have on this topic. Additionally, if you want to know how to sell cars in NFS Unbound, here’s a guide sharing details on the same. Anyway, for more such interesting content, keep following DigiStatement. Also read: Which is the fastest car in Need for Speed (NFS) Unbound?
