As Criterion rebrands on its 30th anniversary, are its beloved racing franchises like Burnout falling away in the rearview mirror?

"Battlefield is our focus right now."

Criterion, a legendary UK development studio, is going through something of a re-brand. Its legacy is built upon a foundation of classics, Burnout Paradise and Star Wars: Battlefront to name but a few. However these days, it now finds itself one of many Battlefield Studios, a collective of separate studios all collaborating on EA's premier military shooter.

This year marks Criterion's 30th anniversary, presenting an opportunity to both look back at its past and look forward to its future. The company invited press and influencers to its Guildford offices to do so, providing some insight into how Criterion fits into the larger picture at parent publisher Electronic Arts, and a chance to dig into how it'll fare moving ahead. Can Criterion continue to survive in an industry in anguish?

"The industry as a whole is in a bit of turmoil, it would be foolish of any leader to not be able to speak to that," says director of operations Amy Pejic. "That said, being a part of Battlefield in general has provided a good foundation. We're part of a wider Battlefield family."

In terms of its identity, what does being part of this family actually mean for Criterion? Well, with the words "A Battlefield Studio" written in bold beneath the developer's name, it means it's in the fox hole with the IP now and for the foreseeable future. Criterion worked extensively on Battlefield 6, coming in last minute to fix up the single player campaign and providing general support to other teams working on the triple-A shooter.

This, according to producer Stefan Wittlesburger, has resulted in a "buzz" among the staff, and allowed Criterion to focus on three pillars it deems core to the studio: "Dare, Deliver, and Delight."

With this re-brand the studio is certainly putting on a brave face. Questions of sustainability run amok when discussing the modern games industry, and having multiple studios work on one franchise raises questions around whether or not Criterion can continue to present this 'triple-D' vision in the long-run. After all, developers were laid off across Battlefield Studios - Criterion included - only this March, after Battlefield celebrated a record-breaking launch for the franchise.

To this Wittlesburger said that Battlefield 6's post-launch live service was "going strong", something he credits to a community-focused approach. He also pointed to the roadmap as proof of future support. As for collaboration between multiple studios and its risk, Wittlesburger said: "It does require close collaboration and communication, but I think that's why Criterion and Battlefield Studios are at the pinnacle of the craft". Pejic admitted it would be "foolish" not to acknowledge the complexities of the multi-studio approach, and referred to "family growing pains" and "challenges" to this approach, but echoes Wittlesburger's belief that it resulted in a better product.

As for another elephant in the room, legacy fans of Criterion may look at the developer's place in the Battlefield process and worry if the studio's racing roots are doomed to fade away in the rear-view mirror. Pejic said that with this re-brand, management doesn't want to "erase" the past works of the studio, and points to the studio's ability to "grasp the nettle" and adapt as core traits the studio will bring forward, rather than specific genres.

While not necessarily erasing its past, the ever-present "a Battlefield Studio" does solidify the future of Criterion. "Our primary focus right now is Battlefield," says Pejic. "So when I say, we don't erase our past, I mean, you know, the unique thumbprint that makes the Criterion game." Wittlesburger would follow up to say the expertise brought by developers at Criterion is that heritage, saying "people make the studio, and people make the games."

He is, of course, correct. At which point it's worth noting that several senior leads at Criterion left in recent years to found Fuse Games, a studio now working on Star Wars: Galactic Racer. With many racing-focused developers departing to revive the spirit of Criterion's old Burnout games more explicitly, I asked whether Criterion still could make a killer, top-of-class racing game.

Wittlesburger paused for a few seconds, then said: "A killer, top-of-class game, sure." When asked specifically about a racing game, Pejic chipped in and referred back to prior comments on the expertise of those at the studio.

When asked if racing games have a place in Criterion's future, Pejic remarked positively about "how often the conversation came up" internally and among the community of Criterion fans believing it to be a "meaningful" example of the quality of the studio's work. Wittlesburger pointed to the presence of vehicles in Battlefield 6, the handling, spectacle, and destruction elements around them, as examples of how Criterion racing expertise has persevered while emphasising: "Battlefield is our focus right now."