EA’s Criterion Games could soon be roaring back onto the racetracks of Rockport City with a rumored remake of the famous 2005 racing game, Need for Speed: Most Wanted. Simone Bailly, who voiced a character in the original game, is the source of this exciting news.
In a social media post that has since been deleted (via VGC), Bailly let slip that the remake of this beloved game is currently under development and slated for release in 2024. Intriguingly, she tagged Criterion Games in her post, insinuating the studio’s involvement in the project.
Notably, the voice actor likely referred to the 2005 iteration of Need for Speed: Most Wanted, in which she featured, rather than the 2012 version. The former title, developed by EA Canada and the now-inoperative EA Black Box, was a prominent release for the PS2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, PC, Game Boy Advance, and Xbox 360 platforms. A PSP spin-off, Need for Speed: Most Wanted 5-1-0, followed in the same year.
EA’s decision to bring Need for Speed back to Criterion Games, announced in February 2020, appears to be taking shape with this reported project. The switch was part of a larger restructuring plan involving Ghost Games, the studio responsible for the previous four entries in the series.
Criterion Games, based in Guildford, England, is no stranger to the Need for Speed franchise. The studio’s resume boasts two previous installments, Hot Pursuit in 2010 and a Most Wanted reboot in 2012. Known for its acclaimed Burnout series, Criterion recently produced the title Need for Speed Unbound in 2022.
