Former Criterion heads are making a Burnout successor

A successor to one of gaming’s most missed series is at last on the way.

Three Fields Entertainment, which was founded by former Criterion bosses Alex Ward and Fiona Sperry last year, has teased a Burnout successor via Twitter.

Two things. Our first game is a multiplayer sports game. Coming Spring 2016. Then we make a driving game,” it said. What sort of driving game you ask? A spiritual successor. Speed. Traffic. And Crashing. Lots and lots of crashing. Spiritual successor to which one though? The second, the third or the fourth one?”

There have in fact been five main releases in the Burnout series, but the fifth – Burnout Paradise – deviated from the originals by offering an open-world world. The studio’s comments suggest a return to the earlier entries in the series.

Criterion itself ruled out a new Burnout just earlier this week, tweeting that it had moved on to newer, even better things”.

The first Burnout was released in 2001. It was followed by Burnout 2: Point of Impact in 2002, Burnout 3: Takedown in 2004 and Burnout Revenge in 2005. Burnout Paradise, released in 2008, was the last full release in the series.

UPDATE: MCV’s sister site Develop has discovered that the new game is in development for PS4 Xbox One and PC. Three Fields also "aims to support" PlayStation VR and Oculus Rift.

Two things. Our first game is a multiplayer sports game. Coming Spring 2016. Then we make a driving game. RT and #ScreamIfYouWantToGoFaster

— Official TFE (@3FieldsEnt) October 1, 2015

What sort of driving game you ask? A spiritual successor. Speed. Traffic. And Crashing. Lots and lots of crashing. #ShinyRedSomething

— Official TFE (@3FieldsEnt) October 1, 2015

Spiritual successor to which one though??? The second, the third or the fourth one?? #decisions

— Official TFE (@3FieldsEnt) October 1, 2015

.@gatchers Hah! You're not the first with that one. Nice idea but it's still not true. We've moved on to newer, even better things!

— Criterion Games (@CriterionGames) September 29, 2015