Said scenarios range from skydiving out of a plane to breaching doors, destroying buildings, and riding down avenues in armored trucks on a turret. The focus is on a foe named Kincaid, and in typical Battlefield: Bad Company 2, the squad is a bit divided on how to go about things. Which is a good thing, given the success of that game’s campaign.

Battlefield 6 launches on October 10th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. While the campaign will doubtless provide enough thrills, multiplayer is arguably the biggest appeal, with multiple maps and modes. Players can partake in classic modes like Conquest and Rush or new modes like Escalation. Head here for details on some of the changes following the open beta or check out our feature for more information.

Speaking about Battlefield during EA’s recent quarterly earnings call, Wilson touched on the next instalment in the franchise, calling it “one of the most ambitions projects” in the company’s history, and providing assurances that the development team that has been assembled to work on it is aiming to “deliver an epic Battlefield experience.”

“The community is energized by what our teams are doing and excited for what comes next,” Wilson said. “This is not just one of our top priorities, it is also one of the most ambitious projects in our history. We have brought together the very best team coupled with the resources and technology they need to deliver an epic Battlefield experience.”

Electronic Arts has multiple studios currently working on Battlefield. In addition to lead developer DICE, the next Battlefield’s single-player campaign is being led by Criterion Games, in the wake of Ridgeline Games being shuttered earlier this year. In April, it was also announced that Dead Space developer Motive Studio was forming a new internal team to work on Battlefield.

As per previous leaks, the next Battlefield game is targeting an October 2025 release. Also working on the first-person shooter franchise is Ripple Effect Studios, with reports claiming that the team is developing a standalone free-to-play battle royale title.

The studio’s closure was revealed in a statement by EA’s president of entertainment and technology, Laura Miele, who stated that development of future Battlefield single player content is being taken over by Criterion Games, which was confirmed to be working on the franchise last September, while some members of the team at Ridgeline will also be offered roles at Ripple Effect Studios, which is developing a standalone multiplayer Battlefield experience (allegedly a free-to-play battle royale title).

“Our vision for Battlefield is ambitious and exciting,” Miele wrote. “The project is making meaningful progress, thanks to the strong leadership of Vince Zampella and Byron Beede and dedicated studios committed to building a Battlefield platform our fans will love. Today, we have the largest Battlefield team in the franchise’s history, with passionate people in place across the globe and our studios organized to benefit from both franchise and local leadership.

“Marcus Lehto recently made a personal decision to leave the project. To ensure our work continues uninterrupted, we immediately appointed leadership at Criterion to oversee our single-player work. As part of this change, we’ll be winding down Ridgeline as a standalone studio in Seattle, with some team members joining Ripple Effect. They’ll continue to work with teams across DICE, Ripple, and Criterion as they build the next Battlefield experience.”

EA first confirmed in 2021 that it had established a new studio in Seattle to work on narrative-driven single player campaigns for future Battlefield instalments, before formally unveiling the studio as Ridgeline Games the following year. Later, it was confirmed that the team was working with DICE on the next Battlefield game. Recent reports have claimed that the title is targeting an October 2025 launch.

Another studio that has been impacted by Electronic Arts’ mass layoffs is Respawn Entertainment, with EA having confirmed that the studio’s single player Star Wars FPS has been cancelled.

Criterion says it will be releasing an additional four volumes of new content for the open world racer. They will be released every few months, with each including at least one new mode, two new fully customizable cars, and a new Speed Pass.

In the spirit of celebrating a landmark anniversary for the franchise, this post-launch content will also be inspired by a variety of past Need for Speed titles. For instance, Volume 7, releasing between May and July, will add Drift and Drag, which is inspired by Need for Speed Underground, while Volume 8, which will arrive between August and October, will bring Cops vs. Racers, inspired by Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.

Additionally, starting with Volume 6, which will be the first of the game’s year 2 roadmap, Criterion and EA will also start offering the Premium Speed Pass, a paid battle pass that will include instant access to one of the new vehicles, its custom variants, and all of its customization options. The Premium Speed Pass will also include new customization options, while the free Speed Pass will also continue to be offered.

Additionally, you can also expect new events, weekly PvP playlists, updates for Freedrive and progression, new challenges, bug fixes, quality-of-life improvements, and more.

Criterion says Need for Speed Unbound’s second year of post-launch content will aim to deliver “the ultimate NFS experience in one place”, adding that players’ “feedback and gameplay will help shape the future of this iconic franchise.”

“We see this as a year to test and learn and understand what works best for you,” the developer writes. “Committing to an extended Unbound live service allows us to really build on feedback, which we’ll be gathering in a few ways. We’re working closely with a dedicated Player Council – a great bunch of NFS influencers, core community members, and players to understand what’s important to them and their communities. We’ll be increasing the amount of telemetry we track from the games to better understand through gameplay data what’s working for you. And we’ll look to close the feedback loop by being as transparent as possible with you, letting you know what we’ve heard and what we can and can’t do.”

In September last year, it was announced that Criterion Games was once again providing development support on the Battlefield franchise, with a core team within the studio remaining focused on the future of Need for Speed. Earlier in the year, job listings suggested the studio was working on a new open world instalment in the franchise.

In July, actress Simone Bailly – who played the unnamed partner of Sergeant Jonathan Cross in 2005’s Need for Speed: Most Wanted – put up posts on her Twitter and Instagram accounts that claimed a remake of the game was scheduled to be released in 2024, before quickly deleting the posts.

Need for Speed Unbound is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium players will be able to claim the game at no cost starting February 20. Read our review of the open world racer through here.

“As we’ve said before, we’re all-in on Battlefield. Today, Criterion is added to our world-class Battlefield studios dedicated to ushering in a new era for the franchise.” Most of the team will work with Ripple Effect, Ridgeline and DICE, led by Battlefield general manager Byron Beede.

“Criterion’s experience with Battlefield, our technology and building engaging experiences will have an immediate positive impact as we continue to work on Battlefield 2042, and as we continue pre-production on a connected Battlefield Universe. There is no better studio to join us on this journey, and I couldn’t be more excited.”

Those hoping for a new Need for Speed or the rumored remake of Need for Speed: Most Wanted won’t have to fret. Zampella says that work continues on “what’s next for Need for Speed.” “Many of you might be familiar with my history in games, having worked with extremely talented teams on Apex Legends, Titanfall, and Star Wars Jedi here at Electronic Arts.

“But you might not know I have a passion for cars, which also makes Criterion a perfect match for me to explore another genre in gaming that I love. I’m looking forward to working with a core group as we shape what’s next for the franchise.” Given the mixed response to Need for Speed Unbound, it should be interesting to see what Zampella has in store for the racing series.

Of course, when there will be an announcement about either franchise remains to be seen. Criterion is no stranger to Battlefield, having worked on Firestorm, Battlefield 5’s battle royale mode, and vehicular gameplay in Battlefield 2042. It was assigned to EA Sports before shifting to EA Entertainment for Battlefield under Beede and Zampella. Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.

There are 30 new Hot Laps activities to tackle, 40 new Daily Challenges, two new Rumble Playlists, two new Standard Playlists and new Street Races. The existing Playlists have also been refreshed, and completing any with a Lotus car unlocks the Rare Custom Lotus Emira Balmain Edition 2021 for free. Of course, there are also new driving effects, poses and banner stickers to unlock

Those subscribed to EA Play can get Nissan Fairlady ZG 1971 as well. The Keys to the Map is also available, revealing the locations of all collectibles and activities. It includes the Fury and Zen clothing pack with a new jacket, sweatpants, cap and T-shirt to customize one’s character.

More updates are in the works, so stay tuned. Need for Speed Unbound is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.

There’s also the Nissan Fairlady ZG 1971, available for EA Play members, available exclusively to members in VOL 2. You can also partake in 40 new Daily Challenges (15 being brand new), 30 Hot Laps Activities, and four new Endurance events. Two new Rumble Playlists and Race Playlists have also been added, while the existing Playlist is getting refreshed.

A new driving effect, Bear Champ, is also unlocked on beating the 30 Rival Hot Lap scores while reaching 60 stars grants the Hey May driving effect. If you hit 90 stars, then you’ll receive the Ghost pose for your character. There are also six new banner stickers to earn.

Stay tuned for patch notes in the coming days. Need for Speed Unbound is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. Check out our review here.

You need to finish the Prologue to start collecting anything while offline. Going online makes them available immediately, and progress is shared, which is nice. There are 100 Bear Champs to collect, 80 Street Art and 80 Billboards. Check out Game Guides Channel’s video below to find them all.

How to Fully Upgrade the Lakeshore Online Garage

As with many things, money or Bank in Need for Speed Unbound is the key to happiness. For your Lakeshore Online Garage, you’ll need lots of money to fully upgrade it. For the Pro Tier, you need $7,500. Super Tier is $50,000, and the last Tier Elite is $100,000. In total, you’ll need $157,500 to upgrade it. The easiest way to do this is to finish the Story and then sell off any cars you don’t want for the cash. It’s advised to complete the Achievement/Trophy for owning ten cars before upgrading the garage.

A good way to do both is to have $243,000, and then purchase nine of the Volkswagen Golf GTI (1976). Once done, sell them off, and you can use the money to upgrade the Lakeshore Online Garage.

The Fastest Cars and How to Get Them

Progressing through Need for Speed Unbound unlocks some truly spectacular vehicles, but what are some of the fastest? If you’re looking for a solid choice in the A class, the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 (1988) is a good choice. It has a top speed of 232 mph without any modifications and costs $350,000.
Once you’ve earned some more bank, the S+ Hypercars should deserve your attention.

The 2016 Aston Martin Vulcan is a cool $1.6 million with a top speed of 223 mph with some great acceleration. The McLaren P1 GTR has a top speed of 225 mph and costs $2,120,500 but is gated behind story progress. The same goes for the Koenigsegg Regera, with a top speed of 256 mph and a $1.5 million price.

The Bugatti Chiron Sport technically has the highest top speed of 261 mph, though the Regera has better acceleration. Nevertheless, you can get a blazing 420 mph top speed on fully upgrading it. It costs $3.665 million, so you’ll need to make some serious Bank to afford it.

For more details on Need for Speed Unbound, check out our review here. It’s available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC.

The Callisto Protocol debuted in sixth place, and while this may seem troublesome – with physical sales 17 percent lower than Dying Light 2 Stay Human, another horror title – it’s not bad. Launch sales were higher than Saints Row and Gotham Knights, with the PS5 version accounting for 74 percent of total sales.

On the other hand, Need for Speed Unbound debuted in 17th place, with sales down 64 percent compared to Need for Speed Heat. GamesIndustry notes that it didn’t receive much marketing or media coverage, which is a shame since the IP is the tenth biggest in UK history. Of the total physical sales, 78 percent were on PS5.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns also had a rough debut at 26th place. Given that there was no PC version at launch and Firaxis is more well-known for its success on the platform, it may be worth waiting for the digital sales. Nevertheless, it’s still disappointing, especially with the Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch versions delayed for the current-gen releases.

Other noteworthy figures include FIFA 23 in first place despite sales dropping by 47 percent; Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 remaining in second place after sales fell by six percent; and God of War Ragnarok rising to third following a seven percent sales increase. Nintendo Switch titles continue to hold the top 10 spots, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in fourth, Pokemon Violet in fifth and Pokemon Scarlet in seventh despite sales drops.

Check out the top ten best-selling physical games in the UK for the week ending December 3rd below.

But what we don’t know at the point of writing this feature of course, is what the game would exactly entail, what changes to expect from the game, and which franchise features will be making a return and the like. Hell, there hasn’t even been any official announcement for the game, which paints a really bleak picture for this much-anticipated title. To that end, we can’t help but ask the question – what the hell is going on with Need For Speed 2022?

To really understand what’s going on with Need For Speed, we need to go to a little ways back. Before Need For Speed 2022 was the next big game to be released by EA, there was Battlefield 2042 – which endured a turbulent development cycle thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. As is the case with multi-studio conglomerates like EA, the publisher assigned DICE (the developer on Battlefield 2042) many support studios to distribute the work and hopefully, manage to finish the game to make it in time for expected release dates. Criterion Games, the talent behind many of Need For Speed’s biggest hits, was also one such support studio – which was also simultaneously working on Need For Speed 2022 alongside providing support for completing DICE’s upcoming first-person shooter at the time.

Of course, with Battlefield 2042 nearing its deadline – many at Criterion were busy assisting DICE on its work, while its original project Need For Speed 2022 remained on life-support by the remainder of the developers – which is something that industry insider Tom Henderson has also reported on. Sure, this might not be the entire narrative – but it’s fair to assume that productivity did take a considerable dip at this time, and supporting this statement is the fact that EA has integrated its newly acquired Codemasters’ Cheshire studio into Criterion Games as a support studio to help finish this highly-anticipated game.

Rumours of the game being internally delayed started doing the rounds as soon as news of Criterion assisting DICE hit the internet. However, in the absence of any information surrounding the game – the rumours eventually fizzled out. But then again, we got rumours of a release date being planned for sometime during September and October with nothing to show for it. Jump to now, and Jeff Grubb of VentureBeat has recently stated that the game may have been delayed from its planned release of November to sometime in December.

So, that leaves EA with less than a handful of months to spare between a reveal and a release, and we still haven’t received any reveal trailers or any reassuring information with regards to Need For Speed 2022. A recent leaked clip showed untextured and primitive environments with no map geometry. And for all its worth – it could be footage from a months-old build of the game but it seems fair to say that the game is nowhere near complete which is most likely why the developer is shying away from showcasing it to the public. Taking these factors into consideration, there are two paths that EA could take – either try to crunch and finish the game for a release this year or take a blow to its release structures and delay Need For Speed 2022 over to next year.

Before deciding on any of these options, it’s necessary that we consider the reports surrounding what the game would entail. Reportedly set in a fictionalized recreation of Chicago, the game in question seems to be deviating a fair bit from its roots, with notable elements like drag races and drift events being absent from the game. There’s also an anime-inspired style element to the presentation alongside a bustling open world with plenty of NPCs roaming about. Reports of car meet events and betting mini-games have also emerged, and many of these elements have been more or less confirmed with the leaked footage that surfaced recently.

So, it’s obvious that EA is basically trying to capture a wider audience with the game. New elements like anime-inspired visual elements and betting mini-games are being added with an intent to bring first-time players into the fold while also making long-time fans comfortable with the changes. But apparent removal of elements like drag races is sure to rub some fans the wrong way, and satisfying both target demographics obviously requires the developer to really nail the design aspects of the game to achieve its lofty goals.

All in all, it’s a different game from your typical Need For Speed affair – so it doesn’t come with the advantage that prototypical annualized releases such as the likes of FIFA and Madden have with regards to guaranteed sales figures. We also have to consider that the game hasn’t been shown off in an official capacity just yet, and the developer may have to realign its designs and gameplay with feedback in case the reception to the changes isn’t positive – which wouldn’t obviously be possible in such a short time frame.

As such, sticking to releasing the game in 2022 just for the sake of it doesn’t sound a viable option – both from a player’s perspective as well as from a business standpoint. But if Criterion were to be given the extra time it needs to polish the game and re-tune it according to what the fans want from the game, there’s a high likelihood that the game would stand true to its promises and give fans of the franchise what they need and deserve.

Need For Speed would be returning after a 3-year long hiatus, and the fate of the franchise obviously depends upon the critical and commercial reception of this latest entry. There’s a very high likelihood that EA would put Need For Speed on hold if the experiment doesn’t end up well, more so now that it has other offerings in the same space thanks to the Codemasters acquisition – including but not limited to GRID and F1. Though to counter myself, the integration of Codemasters’ Cheshire into Criterion does suggest that the publisher does have some plans for the long-term future of the franchise.

In conclusion, it becomes really important that Need For Speed 2022 (or 2023 if it may come to that) is developed with all the time it needs, and rushing it out for the sake of financial gain would be simply sending it out to die.

The ball lies in your court EA, you decide.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.