Speedhunters—a car culture site EA has backed for about 17 years—is winding down. According to longtime contributor Matthew Everingham, writing on Instagram, “Speedhunters is on ice. EA shelved Need For Speed, and that means no more funding for the site.” (VGC) The site’s stopped publishing new content, its social media accounts are dark, and the online store is offline.
What “shelved Need for Speed” really means
EA’s been shifting its internal studios around for a while:
- In September 2023, Criterion (the current NFS developer) moved much of its team to work on Battlefield, though they said some would still support NFS.
- Developer Ghost Games, makers of NFS Payback and Heat, was renamed EA Gothenburg in 2020.
So “shelving” here seems literal: EA’s paused Need for Speed development and cut Speedhunters funding while staff focus on Battlefield duties.
Why this matters
- Speedhunters served the community—with deep, photo-rich features that celebrated real car culture. Its shutdown isn’t just a shuttered site; it’s a lost hub of automotive enthusiasts backed by EA.
- NFS has been stuck—the franchise has bounced between developers and styles (shift sims, story-heavy, open world), never finding consistent footing in recent entries.
That community vibe is dwindling, and now the cultural side (Speedhunters) is fading too.
A pause, not a funeral
Heads-up: “shelved” doesn’t always mean “never coming back.” As one Redditor put it:
“Hope they’re giving the series a rest so when they do bring it back, they have a clear vision on how to make a truly great Need For Speed game.” (X (formerly Twitter), Reddit)
EA’s words hint at a return once Battlefield dev cycles ease off .
What’s next?
- Speedhunters: likely remains dormant until EA refocuses on car culture.
- Need for Speed: may resume once Criterion finishes Battlefield work. No new release window yet.
- Community impact: fans and car enthusiasts lose one of their best platforms for automotive stories.
Summary
EA paused Need for Speed development and cut funding for Speedhunters—so both the game and its cultural hub are taking a back seat. It’s a shift from “here today, gone tomorrow” to “we’re backburnering it until we figure it out.”
If you follow car culture or NFS closely, this is a real loss. But the franchise isn’t dead yet—just parked.
FAQ
Is EA canceling the Need for Speed series?
Not officially. EA has “shelved” the franchise, meaning development is paused while teams focus on other projects like Battlefield. It may return, but there’s no timeline.
What happened to Speedhunters?
Speedhunters, EA’s car culture site, has gone dark. The site stopped publishing, its store is offline, and social media has been inactive—largely due to the pause in Need for Speed development.
Will Speedhunters or NFS come back?
Possibly. EA hasn’t ruled it out. But until Criterion wraps its Battlefield work, both the game and the community site are likely to remain inactive.
