Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios has been heavily impacted by this week’s brutal Microsoft layoffs, former employees have claimed, reportedly resulting in Xbox’s sim racing series being wound down.
Former Forza Motorsport content coordinator Fred Russell has stated that the franchise’s team is “no more,” with remaining Turn 10 Studios employees left at the Washington-based company now focused on supporting the Forza Horizon series instead, which is primarily developed at British outfit Playground Games.
“Turn 10 Studios has shuttered the Forza Motorsport space and the team is no more,” Russell wrote in a post on Facebook. “A very sad day for one of the best car racing video games. I loved my time there.”
Responding to a comment regarding Turn 10’s future overall, Russell noted that “the studio is open to support the Horizon side” and that Microsoft had “shuttered the Forza Motorsport side only.”
Chris Harding, another former Turn 10 Studios employee, suggested that “120 people” were “gone from FM side.” IGN has contacted Microsoft for comment.
Turn 10 Studios’ original Forza Motorsport launched for the OG Xbox in 2005, and established the series as one of Microsoft’s core gaming brands, as well as a serious rival to PlayStation’s Gran Turismo. Seven Forza Motorsport sequels have launched since, spread across every Xbox console generation.
But the series’ original sim racing side has increasingly been eclipsed by the success of Forza Horizon, the franchise’s newer, open-world spin-off that first launched on Xbox 360 in 2012. Following a positive reception, the following decade saw four Forza Horizon sequels follow.
Xbox Games Series Tier List
Xbox Games Series Tier List
When Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently confirmed that the next Forza title would arrive in 2026, it was widely assumed that this meant a new entry in the Forza Horizon series, rather than a follow-up to 2023’s most recent Forza Motorsport, which was set up as something of a series reboot but launched to a mixed response.
Now, Forza Motorsport is reportedly no more, with no one at Turn 10 Studios left currently working on it.
“The legacy will stay,” Russell concluded, “even if there is no future for the game.”
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
