EA CEO Andrew Wilson reveals that a new Need for Speed game will be released before March 2018 and it will be the "most exciting" and "best looking" game in the series.

Ever since the last "big" Need for Speed game rolled around in 2015, fans of the hugely popular racing series have wondered where the series will go next. Would it go in a more arcade-y direction such as the massively popular multiplayer game Rocket League? Or would it continue down the super serious route, building on the story mode and the simulation-like gameplay and graphics that were praised in most of those positive reviews for the last major installment?

Fans wondering about the future of the franchise need wonder no more as EA used its latest quarterly financial briefing to reveal a little more on the next Need for Speed game. The series' publisher confirmed that a new Need for Speed game is in the works and that the development team is "pushing the boundaries of action driving."

This upcoming, yet untitled game will be the "most exciting and best looking Need for Speed game we've ever produced" according to EA CEO Andrew Wilson (via DualShockers). The executive also shared that EA has given the game an "extended development cycle to focus on innovation." It's unclear exactly what these innovations will be but fans will be hoping that the new game drops the always-online requirement featured in Need for Speed as well as the decision to lock the console versions of the game 30 FPS.

It's also unclear exactly what this new game will be called. Although trademarks for "Need for Speed Arena" popped up just a few months ago, EA did not use its financial briefing to confirm that this is the name of the game. However, Wilson did confirm that the yet untitled game will be released before the 2018 financial year is up. This means that the new Need for Speed will be out by the end of March 2018, meaning that EA has just over a year to detail those innovations and give it a suitably speedy title.

Naturally, some fans of the series will be disappointed that the game may not arrive until next year, but EA may want to hold back on releasing the game for a short while as there are so many other racing games set to vie for pole position. Gran Turismo Sport was delayed and will launch sometime in 2017, while Project Cars 2 is releasing soon, and Forza Motorsport 7 is also in development (though it's unclear exactly when it will launch). Giving the game more time in the oven not only lets the developer deliver on those Need for Speed innovations, but also it will let those innovations shine come release day too.

The next Need for Speed game is currently scheduled for release sometime before the 2018 financial year.