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.

Fresher Roster of Cars

The selection of cars in Need for Speed has been a little…stagnant over the years. It feels like we’ve been seeing the same vehicles since Need for Speed (2015) with the Acura RSX-S, Ford Mustang Foxbody and GT, Honda Civic Type-R and so on appearing again and again. And while Need for Speed Heat offered a decent selection of cars, there were still only 127 compared to 500 at launch for Forza Horizon 5. At the very least, Criterion needs to inject even more than past games have offered. Throw in some Electric Cars and more experimental models, for instance.

Abandoned Cars

Need for Speed Payback’s Abandoned Cars act pretty much like the Barn Finds in Forza Horizon. Once informed of one, you had to race to an area and search around to find it. Need for Speed 2022 should have this and expand on it further. Have proper quest lines that lead you to an Abandoned Car, perhaps competing in races with rival crews to see who gets it. Offer tricky obstacles that must be circumvented (like an Abandoned Car on a cargo ship in the ocean that must be jumped to). Get creative and introduce some stellar vehicles that are rewarded upon fixing them up.

More Street Racing

Speaking of rival crews, the next Need for Speed badly needs more street racing. Need for Speed Heat had the right idea but restricted its street racing to the nighttime. This should be expanded to include the day time as well with unique conditions, locales and various interesting characters to race against. Bring back the Most Wanted List and expand it to include a bunch more racers this time, each with their own cash bounties and souped-up vehicles as rewards.

More Variety in Cop Chases

Cop chases are an integral part of the Need for Speed experience, whether you’re escaping or trying to track down criminals. We’ve seen the usual pursuing vehicles, barricades and spike-strips, not to mention the pursuit helicopter and armored trucks. Special cruisers at higher Pursuit Levels in Heat were also nice but there needs to be more. The question – how do you do that while still maintaining some level of realism? You don’t want to turn this into Grand Theft Auto but also want some fresh challenges. It’s not an easy question to solve but hopefully Criterion is looking into it.

Playing as Cops

One method to liven up the cop chases is to go back to one of NFS’s most well-known mechanics – playing as the cops. Choose different tools and hunt down racers along with implementing an entirely different reward system for playing as the law. You could even throw in some optional invasion mechanics and collect bounties on certain racers (both in-game and online).

Less Narrative Focus

It’s time to face facts – the “narrative” in several of the past Need for Speed titles has ranged from “meh” to downright atrocious. While it doesn’t need to be ditched entirely, the story in the next Need for Speed should be streamlined entirely in favor of the racing. It’s possible to have a compelling “Career Mode” without getting too much into plotlines that ultimately add nothing to the experience (as seen with Payback and Heat). And if there must be a story, try to make it intentionally campy and/or cheesy instead of super-serious.

Offline Play

We know it’ll never happen, especially in this increasingly connected age (and if there are microtransactions to be had). But if Forza Horizon 5 with its constant stream of updates and open world populated with real players can have an offline option, then the next Need for Speed should as well. It’s just that simple.

Cockpit View

Oddly enough, Need for Speed Heat didn’t offer a cockpit view while racing, which is a shame because it adds so much to the immersion. While extra work is needed to implement it for all vehicles, a racing game like this is where they would be most appreciated the most. Make it happen, Criterion (especially since NFS Payback had it).

Goal-Oriented Racing

Yet another point that any open world racer (as rumors suggest the next NFS will be) should take note of from Forza Horizon 5 is goal-oriented racing. Everything in the game revolves around Accolades, challenges that cover several different spectrums and race-types to eventually get you to the Hall of Fame. More than a Reputation grind, Need for Speed should offer players numerous ways to progress in different areas of the game, from street racing and cop chases to drag racing and reckless driving, with all of the progress feeding into a larger overarching system. It helps give meaning to everything while also presenting rewards for fans of specific gameplay types.

Autolog

One sorely missed feature from the old days is Autolog. This social feature allowed players to compare their times with friends across various events. It also tracked the number of first place finishes; in Most Wanted (2012), jump distance, smashed gates, unlocked upgrades and more were also tracked. How this could be expanded on remains to be seen but it would be a nice bonus.

Multiplayer Variety

Multiplayer in Need for Speed has offered some fairly safe options over the years. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but more different kinds of modes would be welcome. A battle royale variant or fun twist on King of the Hill, perhaps even a mode where racers are arranged into squads with different abilities could be cool. It also wouldn’t hurt to cut loose every now and then to have wackier modes like an NFS version of Burnout 3’s Team Crush and Double Impact where players must cooperate or compete to cause crashes.

Better Post-Launch Support

The last few Need for Speed titles haven’t exactly been known for their extensive post-launch support. Whether Electronic Arts intends to go the live service approach with this year’s iteration is unknown but it could certainly benefit from delivering more cars, features, events and whatnot after release. Games like Payback and Heat have done the same but only up till a point – NFS 2022 needs to go even further.

Custom Race Builder

Oddly enough, one feature that the Need for Speed series isn’t really known for is a custom race builder. You can’t just create your own track in the open world and share it with other players. But on top of helping foster a community, a custom race builder would add even more content to the sequel, thus prolonging its lifespan.

More Extensive Tuning Options

Remember when NFS Payback had you using cards to customize your vehicles? Heat did a lot better in that regard but there need to be more options and greater freedom in how a player tunes their vehicle. Also, if acquiring parts wasn’t tied to things like High Heat Races, leveling up and escaping the Cops at night, that would be great.

Cross-Platform Multiplayer

Since the next Need for Speed will launch for multiple platforms, cross-platform multiplayer should be a thing. Numerous racing titles have had it lately, from Forza Horizon 5 to Gran Turismo 7 (even if that’s cross-gen), and it helps provide a larger pool of players to match with. It all depends on whatever technicalities need to be worked out but should be a given in this day and age.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Gameplay

The sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has been rumored for a long while and finally it is coming rather soon. Titled Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the game will release in early 2023 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. At this point, no gameplay footage has been showcased but it’s very much possible that it could be revealed at a major showcase in June. This was the pattern with Fallen Order (and even past Star Wars Battlefront reveals) so we’ll see if EA repeats the same.