It’s a sad day for Need for Speed: Rivals fans, as EA has officially shut down the game’s online servers. While the news may not come as a surprise, it’s still the end of an era for fans of the franchise as EA continues its streak of server shutdowns. After more than a decade, Need for Speed: Rivals multiplayer is no longer available as of October 7, 2025.
Despite coming out all the way back in 2013, Need for Speed: Rivals remains one of the best in the franchise, according to some fans. The game struggled with bugs and glitches at launch, but has since become a more polished experience that some claim still holds up today. However, anyone wanting to dive into it will have to do so by themselves, as Rivals‘ online multiplayer has finally come to an end.
EA Has Shut Down Need for Speed: Rivals Multiplayer Servers
EA had confirmed it was shutting down Need for Speed: Rivals alongside other titles earlier in 2025, and now the day has arrived. As previously announced, October 7 marks the end of the game’s online multiplayer. While Rivals is still playable, fans will have to stick to its offline single-player mode and race against AI opponents. However, considering how multiplayer races are one of its biggest selling points, today may mark an effective end to the title for much of its remaining player base, as there is no offline multiplayer. It’s not the only EA game to lose its online functionality this month, either, as Madden NFL 22 and FIFA 23 servers will shut down on October 20 and 30, respectively.
While server shutdowns for old titles are a common practice across the industry, and especially at EA, Rivals‘ closure may hit harder than some other examples. It appears as though EA is rebranding Criterion as a Battlefield-only studio, which leaves the Need for Speed franchise in an uncertain place. While EA could move the series to another subsidiary to keep it alive, there are rumors that it’s shelving the IP indefinitely, making Criterion’s shift seem like the end of NFS, at least for now. Of course, these are just rumors and speculation for now, but the timing alongside Rivals going offline may be unwelcome news for fans.
Beyond Need for Speed, EA has been on a dizzying streak of taking game servers offline. Since 2023, EA has shut down at least 61 games, and more shutdowns are looming on the horizon, too. It may not make much business sense to keep many old games’ servers online, especially considering how many titles are under the EA umbrella, but it can still be disappointing for fans who enjoy playing these older games.