Criterion Games Have Begun Hiring For The Next Need for Speed Game
Criterion Games, the new lead development team for future Need for Speed titles, are seemingly staffing up to begin work on the next Need for Speed title, with a slew of new job positions open at the studio.
Over on Twitter, John Stanley, a Senior Designer at Criterion Games, revealed that the studio are now hiring and looking to grow the studio with over 20 new positions available in various different departments, including Game Design, Art, Software Development and Quality Verification (QA).
While most jobs on the list are fairly standard positions at a game development studio, several positions in particular standout, with the most notable one requiring a Senior Vehicle Software Engineer to work on their Vehicle Handling.
The job description mentions that Criterion are looking for a Senior Vehicle Engineer to join the vehicle design team who will help “build the next generation of physical handling models”, with the goal to create accessible and fun handling models across a diverse range of vehicles, that give a “rewarding and satisfying feeling every time anyone picks up a controller”.
While none of the jobs listed directly mention this is for the next Need for Speed title, the studio took over development of Need for Speed with the closure of Ghost Games in February 2020, so it’s all but certain the next Need for Speed is in active development at the studio.
Various Ghost and Ghost UK employees are now employed at Criterion, in addition to online vehicle concept designer YasidDesign confirming he has been hired by Criterion to work as a vehicle concept designer for “The Future of Need for Speed”.
It’s currently unclear how the impact around the world with COVID-19 will impact development of the next Need for Speed game, or future updates to Need for Speed Heat (if it still gets any), however Stanley’s tweet does indicate that the team at Criterion are currently all working from home.
What do you think this could mean for the next Need for Speed game? Ghost had a notorious reputation for their handling models in their games, could we be looking at a much more polished and refined handling model to Need for Speed Heat? Share your thoughts below, and stay tuned for all future Need for Speed news.