Criterion Games confirms on Twitter that there are no new Burnout games in active development for current-gen consoles, but Burnout Paradise may make its way to Xbox One.

The Burnout series of racing games has consistently earned strong reviews and sales, but even so, the franchise has been dormant for years. EA has instead had Burnout series developer Criterion Games primarily do supplemental work on games from other studios, like Need for Speed: Rivals and Battlefield Hardline. It's safe to say some fans would like to see Criterion use its talent to create a new Burnout game for current-generation consoles, but according to Criterion, that isn't happening anytime soon.

In fact, no new Burnout game is in development at all. Criterion claims it is too busy working on new projects and doesn't have time to revisit its classic franchise. There aren't even plans to create a Burnout HD Collection at the moment, but that doesn't mean that all current-gen console owners will have to miss out on Burnout.

Apparently, Criterion is working with Microsoft to bring Burnout Paradise to Xbox One backward compatibility. The studio originally said this a year ago, but no further developments have been made on that front. At this point, it's strange that Burnout Paradise hasn't made its way to the Xbox One backward compatibility lineup already, but with games added to the service on a regular basis, an announcement could come at any time.

Having Burnout Paradise available to play on Xbox One is a step in the right direction, but many fans are hoping to see other games in the series be made available for current-gen consoles as well. Criterion insists that isn't going to happen, but that statement was made at a time when EA wasn't interested in remasters. More recently, EA has insinuated that the company is looking into remastering its most popular games, and so it stands to reason that Burnout remasters are being considered, at the very least.

And if Criterion doesn't deliver, Burnout fans may soon have an alternative. Some former Burnout developers have formed an indie studio called Three Fields Entertainment, and now that it has wrapped up production on Dangerous Golf, Three Fields is looking to create a Burnout spiritual successor. With Dangerous Golf earning mixed reviews from critics, it's unclear if Three Fields Entertainment's Burnout successor will be any good, but hopefully we see the game in action soon.

In the meantime, Criterion will be developing Star Wars games instead of Burnout or the ambitious open world racing game it had in development. Whether or not this new focus for the studio pays off remains to be seen, but here's hoping EA hasn't completely abandoned the Burnout franchise.

There are currently no new Burnout games in active development.

Source: Criterion Games