Majority of Criterion team becomes Ghost UK

Burnout developer Criterion has shrunk to a team of 15 developers as the majority of the studio works on Need for Speed: Rivals as Ghost UK.

In a series of tweets, Criterion creative director Alex Ward clarified the status of the Guildford developer, and said most of the studio was committed to working on Need for Speed alongside new Swedish studio Ghost Games.

A core team of 15 developers from Criterion meanwhile have moved on to a different project and new location.

Ward said the studio wasn’t keen to hire another 50 staff that were not needed.

“Most of the Studio was committed to helping on Rivals. A small group of chose not to and began work on something new. It was reported in Jan,” said Ward.

"We would rather work a small team all focused on gameplay rather than a huge team split by discipline. We didn’t want to take on 50 people when they are not needed. Too many folks too soon dilutes solving gameplay problems. Hence Ghost UK was formed from a load of Criterion folks. But 15 of us retain the Criterion identity and work in a new location.”

It is not known what the developers remaining under the Criterion name are currently working on, but speculation earlier this year suggested it could be moving away from the racing genre.