Issues haven’t been going so properly with the Battlefield franchise of late, so EA is bringing in some extra assist. The publisher says that beginning right this moment, “Criterion is added to our world-class Battlefield studios devoted to ushering in a brand new period for the franchise.”
Criterion was first acquired by EA in 2004 and is finest recognized for its work on racing video games, beginning with Burnout earlier than shifting to EA’s Need for Speed franchise. However the writer has additionally utilized Criterion on quite a few non-racing initiatives, together with Battlefield and the Star Wars Battlefront sequence.
Immediately’s information comes as a part of a restructuring that started in 2021, not lengthy after the rocky launch of Battlefield 2042, putting the franchise under the purview of Respawn boss Vince Zampella. “Criterion’s expertise with Battlefield, our expertise, and constructing participating experiences may have a direct Positive impression as we proceed to work on Battlefield 2042, and as we proceed pre-production on a linked Battlefield Universe,” Zampella wrote in a weblog saying right this moment’s information. “There is no such thing as a higher studio to hitch us on this journey and I couldn’t be extra excited.”
However whereas nearly all of the staff will probably be centered on EA’s large shooter, Zampella says {that a} small group will work on “what’s subsequent for Want for Pace,” which most lately noticed the launch of the cel-shaded Need for Speed Unbound in 2022. “I’m actually wanting ahead to working with a core group as we form what’s subsequent for the franchise,” Zampella says.