rewrite this title Why Was ‘FBI : Most Wanted’ Canceled? Find Out the Reason

FBI: Most Wanted will not be returning to CBS this season following its series finale.

The show, a spinoff of Emmy Award-winning producer Dick Wolf’s FBI franchise, ran for six seasons starting in January 2020 and achieved commercial success. Its series finale aired on May 20, 2025. It was produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.

Described as a “high-stakes drama,” the series focused on the Fugitive Task Force, an elite unit dedicated to relentlessly pursuing and capturing the most notorious criminals on the Bureau’s Most Wanted list. It was known for delivering a “weekly adrenaline shot” with its thrilling chase.

To learn more about the reason for its cancellation and what’s next, keep reading below.

What Other CBS FBI Shows Were Canceled?

In addition to FBI: Most Wanted, CBS has also canceled another FBI spinoff, FBI: International, after four seasons.

According to Deadline, both FBI: International and Most Wanted are currently in production with multiple episodes still to be filmed. It remains unclear whether Universal TV and Wolf Entertainment will attempt to shop the canceled FBI spinoffs to other networks.

The original FBI series, currently in its seventh season after debuting on the network in 2018, has been renewed through the 2026-2027 broadcast season.

Why Was FBI: Most Wanted Canceled by CBS?

CBS has yet to publicly address the cancellation of FBI: Most Wanted. However, Deadline reported that the series cuts, including the cancellation of FBI: International, may be due to CBS needing to make room for its other renewed shows, such as NCIS, NCIS: Origins, NCIS: Sydney, Tracker, Fire Country, Elsbeth, and Matlock.

In May 2024, the outlet also revealed that actors within the FBI franchise were part of a cost-cutting move, which reduced the number of episodes cast members could appear in. Series regulars on FBI and FBI: Most Wanted were impacted by cuts to minimum guarantees, while the cast of FBI International was not.

What Is FBI: CIA About?

The new spinoff, titled FBI: CIA, follows a dedicated, strait-laced FBI agent and a street-smart CIA agent who are part of a clandestine task force focused on solving and preventing domestic terrorism in and around New York City, per the show’s logline.

According to Deadline, the show is still in development and has yet to be cast, though several actors are currently in negotiations.