Electronic Arts is reportedly shelving the "Need for Speed" franchise, one of the longest-running car racing game franchises in the gaming industry, according to the latest post by an insider familiar with the matter.
The franchise is hitting the brakes for the time being, but the good news about this latest report is that the renowned series has not been canceled by EA as a whole.
EA Shelves 'Need for Speed' Franchise For Now
A new post on Instagram by Matthew Everingham, a photographer and contributor to the Speedhunters website said that Electronic Arts has "shelved" the "Need for Speed" franchise.
There were no additional details shared by Everingham in his post, but he did mention that the Electronic Arts-funded car culture website, Speedhunters, will also get cut off from the funding of the company. Everingham's post somberly recounts his experiences as a contributor for the Speedhunters website, which was made possible thanks to "Need for Speed."
That being said, there is still no official confirmation from Electronic Arts regarding their shelving of the "Need for Speed" franchise, as of press time
Uncertain Future for the Racing Game?
According to Engadget's report, the contributor's announcement happened at a time "Need for Speed" is facing a significant precariousness in its current state in Electronic Arts' slate. It was revealed that recent changes in the franchise indicate that the series is facing an uncertain future within the studio's development, especially with the latest changes effected by EA.
First, "Need for Speed Rivals" will shut down its servers come October 7 following its 12-year run in the gaming industry. Players who still log in to experience the online run of "NFS Rivals" will no longer be able to join its servers by the said date.
The report also mentioned that Electronic Arts has restructured its teams before "NFS Rivals" announced its server shut down. This centers on "Need for Speed Rivals" developer, Criterion Games, allocating its employees to work on EA's "Battlefield" franchise but leaves behind a "core group" to continue working on the racing game.
However, earlier this year, "Battlefield's" Vince Zampella confirmed that the rest of the remaining staff over at "Need for Speed" would be moving to the action shooter game's development and join the earlier staffers moved to the project.
