Electronic Arts is shutting down Need for Speed: Rivals servers on October 7. This will be the seventh Need for Speed game that the company has shut down in the 2020s.
Co-developed by Ghost Games—nowadays known as EA Gothenburg—and Criterion Games, Need for Speed: Rivals is the 20th mainline entry in EA's long-running arcade racing franchise. It was originally released for PC and consoles in November 2013, debuting to generally favorable reviews from audiences and critics alike, though its overall scores were dragged down by some launch-day technical issues. Still, Rivals is nowadays touted as one of the best Need for Speed games of the 2010s and an overall great entry point into the series for newcomers.
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PostsAhead of the game's 12th anniversary, its multiplayer servers will be shutting down. According to EA's newly updated support pages, all online functionality for Need for Speed: Rivals is scheduled to cease on October 7. The shutdown will affect all the currently supported versions of the game, spanning the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The arcade racer's listings on digital storefronts have also been updated to include the new end-of-service notice.
4 EA Games Already Confirmed to Be Shutting Down in October 2025
CloseFollowing this announcement, four EA games are now confirmed to be shutting down in October 2025. Just a day ahead of Need for Speed: Rivals losing multiplayer functionality, EA will be shutting down NHL 21 servers on October 6. Madden 22 and FIFA 23 are then scheduled to follow suit on October 20 and October 30, respectively. EA typically gives fans at least several months' worth of notice before pulling the plug on any particular game's servers, so if more titles are planned to lose their multiplayer features in October, they are likely to be officially announced no later than August 2025.
Need for Speed Game Shutdowns in the 2020s
Game
Platform(s)
Date
Year
NFS: Rivals
PS4, X1, Steam, EA App
Oct 7
2025
NFS: Most Wanted
Wii U
Apr 8
2024
NFS: Carbon
PS3, X360, PC, Mac
Aug 31
2021
NFS: Undercover
PS3, X360, PC
Aug 31
2021
NFS: Shift
PS3, PSP, X360, PC
Aug 31
2021
NFS: Shift 2
PS3, X360, PC
Aug 31
2021
NFS: The Run
PS3, X360, PC
Aug 31
2021
As is typically the case, the end of multiplayer support for Need for Speed: Rivals will not impact the rest of the game, which EA continues to sell. The 2013 title has long been available for $19.99 and is frequently discounted. NFS: Rivals also remains accessible through the EA Play subscription catalog.
Since Rivals hit the market, EA has released five other Need for Speed games. The most recent entry materialized in 2022 in the form of NFS: Unbound. Following that release, long-time series developer Criterion Games was reassigned to work on the next Battlefield installment, planned to launch during EA's current fiscal year that ends in March 2026. EA has confirmed that the Need for Speed franchise will continue thereafter.
