Last week, to celebrate its 30th anniversary, EA rebranded Criterion as "Criterion: A Battlefield Studio." The legendary studio behind Burnout and the recent Need for Speed series, along with its work on the Star Wars: Battlefront reboot, will now serve as one of four key studios driving EA's renewed focus on the Battlefield franchise.
This isn't Criterion's first collaboration with the Battlefield series; the Guildford-based team has contributed since 2015's Battlefield 1, but this rebranding signals a shift away from other projects. Or does it?
I'm currently at the Develop Conference in Brighton, which inevitably leads to me being that annoying attendee who asks a question quickly evolving into breaking news. My query today: After three decades of showcasing their potential through creative freedom, will limiting Criterion to Battlefield-only titles stifle their innovation?
"Obviously, we're not making a game about dinosaurs," says Danny Isaac, Senior Producer at Criterion, noting this has been asked multiple times. However, he emphasizes that significant creative liberty exists within the Battlefield ecosystem. "I see the Battlefield franchise—and now platform—as incredibly vast with ample opportunity. We have diverse areas like Portal, user-generated content, multiplayer, and single-player campaigns. There's plenty of room to explore new ways to engage players, as seen with RedSEC and battle royale modes."
"So while it might seem restrictive on the surface," Isaac continues, "as someone once told me: give me the freedom within a tightly defined brief. Often, constraints actually fuel creativity."
Amy Pejic, Criterion's Director of Operations, adds, "When discussing how our studios collaborate, I believe consistency doesn't mean conformity. EA selected four distinct studios for their unique strengths. There's a specific reason we're part of this team; being integrated hasn't muted what makes Criterion uniquely 'Criterion.' We still have room to defy expectations and approach things differently. We don't enforce rigid processes just for the sake of uniformity, meaning every studio retains its identity within EA's broader portfolio."
"But what about non-Battlefield projects? Have we seen the last Need for Speed or Burnout?" I interject before the microphone is taken away.
"I think we've put Burnout to rest a while ago," Isaac replies. "As for Need for Speed, yes—for now, our focus is squarely on Battlefield Studios. But given our journey together, I'd never say 'never.' Things evolve; EA changes perspectives, but right now, we are all in on Battlefield."
Pejic summarizes it best: "We can make any game; currently, our focus is Battlefield."
It certainly echoes the Henry Ford quote: "Any color you want, as long as it's black."
