Applicants will help Criterion “on our new and exciting endeavour to create an open world offering the player a fast, visceral and authentic experience.” So for those hoping that the next Need for Speed would take a different approach, it’s looking like another open world.

Of course, while Criterion seeks applicants, development could be in an early stage. It may be some time before the next Need for Speed’s announcement and even longer before it releases. Then again, this could be the Need for Speed: Most Wanted remake that actor Simone Bailly, who played a part in the original, recently teased for release in 2024.

Time will tell, so stay tuned for more details. Need for Speed Unbound is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. Check out our review here.

As it turns out, a remake of the 2005 game, Need for Speed: Most Wanted, might be in the works at EA. Recently, actress Simone Bailly – who played the unnamed partner of Sergeant Jonathan Cross in the 2005 game – put up posts on her Twitter and Instagram accounts, seemingly spilling the beans on a Most Wanted remake.

“Need for Speed: Most Wanted Remake is being released in 2024, like and comment if you want to see Cross (Dean McKenzie) and his partner (Simone Bailly) hunt down the most wanted,” the post read.

Bailly has since removed the post from her social pages, though users on ResetEra managed to grab a screenshot before that. Interestingly, Bailly’s Twitter profile is also still showing several tweets responding to her deleted post that she has liked.

The Need for Speed franchise is now back in the hands of Criterion, the studio behind not only last year’s Unbound, but also 2012’s Most Wanted, a reimagining based on the 2005 title. If Criterion is indeed going back to the latter and developing a remake instead of a reimagining or a follow-up, it should be interesting to see how the experience gets modernized. Of course, until such time something gets officially unveiled, as always, it’s best to tread with caution.