EA to Shut Down Classic Racing Game’s Online Servers Today

Electronic Arts is shutting down the online servers for Need for Speed: Rivals today. However, the game will not be removed from digital stores. Gamers on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles can still buy the title, including on PS5 and Xbox Series X through backward compatibility, though much of its online appeal will be gone once the servers go offline.

Need for Speed: Rivals, released in 2013, was developed by Ghost Games and Criterion Games and marked the 20th entry in the long-running racing series.

The game was Ghost Games’ first major project and received positive attention at E3 2013, winning the “Best Racing Game” award from the Game Critics Awards. Critics generally praised the game when it launched, and it was later followed by Need for Speed: No Limits in 2015 and a reboot of the series.

While fans have known about the shutdown since the summer, the countdown is now official, with servers closing on October 6.

Active players, especially on Steam, appear limited, with peak player counts in the last 24 hours barely reaching 100. Despite the drop in activity, the decision to keep the game for sale suggests that it continues to generate enough interest to justify availability.

Even after the servers go offline, players will still be able to enjoy the single-player content of Rivals. EA has not announced any further updates or support for the title beyond this shutdown.

While the end of online functionality is disappointing for fans, it’s good that the game remains accessible offline. It allows new players to experience the classic racing mechanics without relying on multiplayer. What do you think about EA keeping the game on sale after shutting down its servers? Share your thoughts in the comments.