What you need to know
- Need for Speed games haven't done well critically or commercially in recent years.
- EA wants to revitalize the franchise.
- Development is going back to Criterion Games.
- Many jobs at Ghost Games are at jeopardy as a result of this.
Ghost Games has made the past few Need for Speed games and they haven't done well at all. Compared to titles like Forza Motorsport or Horizon, they aren't on the same level when it comes to visuals and car handling. It seems like EA wants to change the franchise and will return development to Criterion Games. In a report by GamesIndustry, EA acknowledged that the shift was happening. You can read an excerpt from the outlet's report below.
Current franchise leader Ghost Games in Gothenburg is set to become EA Gothenburg once again... The studio will refocus itself as an engineering hub supporting development across EA's portfolio... As for the Ghost Games creative team, EA is looking to transfer many of the staff to positions at Criterion and other places within the wider organization. However, 30 roles remain at risk.
Hopefully, those 30 individuals at Ghost will be able to find jobs at EA or other teams quickly. Let's hope that Criterion has better luck with the Need for Speed franchise. It needs a complete overhaul if it wants to remain competitive in a market with amazing games.
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Asher Madan handles gaming news for Windows Central. Before joining Windows Central in 2017, Asher worked for a number of different gaming outlets. He has a background in medical science and is passionate about all forms of entertainment, cooking, and antiquing.
