General manager of Criterion Games is leaving after more than 23 years at the studio

Matt Webster, Criterion’s vice president and general manager, is leaving after more than 23 years with the studio. In addition to him, four other high-ranking executives are leaving the studio, who have indicated that they want to ‘explore new opportunities outside of Electronic Arts’.

The departure of studio heads has been confirmed by EA to GamesIndustry.biz. Their departure follows not long after the release of Need for Speed ​​Unbound, which was released on December 2. Webster spent more than 23 years at Criterion Games and has been with EA since 1990. At EA he was part of the first team responsible for the first FIFA game, released in 1993 for the Mega Drive. In addition, executive producer Pete Lake, who joined Criterion in 1996, and senior technical director Andrei Shires, who worked at the studio for 16 years, are leaving.

Furthermore, head of studio development Alan McDairmant is leaving EA after seventeen years and Steve Uphill, who was head of content, is leaving after six years. Uphill worked for EA as an art director from 2004 to 2008 and returned to the company in 2016.

EA confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that Charity Joy, who was the executive producer of several EA Sports games, has been transferred to Criterion. There she will also fulfill the role of executive producer. Geoff Smith, who previously worked on the racing games DiRT and Grid, is now the senior director of product development for the Need for Speed ​​series. Criterion Games has been part of EA since 2004. The studio is known for the Burnout games and made four Need for Speed ​​games between 2010 and 2022: Hot Pursuit, Most Wanted, Rivals and Unbound.

Need for Speed ​​Unbound