EA reassigns Criterion to Battlefield full-time as Need for Speed goes dormant
Summary
Criterion Games, the 30-year-old UK studio behind Burnout, has worked solely on Battlefield under EA Entertainment since 2023.
Need for Speed development is currently dormant, with 2022's Need for Speed Unbound the franchise's last release.
Criterion joined Battlefield 6 at the start of development, unlike its late-stage work on Battlefield 5 and 2042.
Headcount rose from 30 in 2017 to 164 today, split across Guildford and Wilmslow.
"We are a Battlefield studio"
01
Battlefield is now Criterion's sole mandate
Criterion moved under EA Entertainment in 2023 specifically to work on Battlefield.
Criterion led Battlefield 6's final two single-player missions.
The studio contributed to core systems: destruction, combat, weapons, and vehicle handling.
"With Battlefield 6, we delivered some crucial elements together with EA Motive, Ripple Effect, and DICE"
02
Criterion now enters Battlefield production at inception
On Battlefield 5 and 2042, Criterion joined as production neared completion.
On Battlefield 6, Criterion was integrated from the start, shaping shared design decisions.
This timing shift is the operational core of EA's resourcing strategy.
"When you come in with that footprint from the beginning, you can have a much bigger impact"
03
Continuity claim rests on design DNA
Leadership cites Burnout's momentum and spectacle as a throughline into Battlefield 6's Operation Ember Strike mission.
VP Matt Webster and other veterans left after Need for Speed Unbound to found Fuse Games.
Fiona Sperry and Alex Ward departed to start Three Fields, now When Tides Turn.
Director of operations Amy Pejic points to early-career hires and interns as the current talent strategy.
04
Headcount growth signals EA positions Criterion as a growth asset
Staff count grew from 30 in 2017 to 164 today across two UK offices.
Pejic says growth tracks project demand, with less expansion once a title enters live service.
"I really want Criterion to be considered the best studio in the UK"
What this means
For Investors & VC: Criterion's veteran exodus seeded Fuse Games and When Tides Turn - active arcade-racer outreach targets.
For Publishers & Developers: EA's model concentrates four studios on one flagship IP from inception, sidelining legacy franchises.
Events
Companies
Games
Locations
United Kingdom
COMPILED BY GAMES ATLAS EDITORIAL
RELATED ARTICLES
EXPLORE MORE
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!