Forza Motorsport Developer Confirms Team Shift to Support Horizon Series

According to former employees, this week's significant Microsoft layoffs have heavily impacted Turn 10 Studios, the developer behind Forza Motorsport, with reports suggesting the Xbox simulation racing series is being phased out.

Former Forza Motorsport content coordinator Fred Russell stated that the franchise team is "no more." Remaining staff at the Washington-based Turn 10 Studios are now reportedly focused on supporting the Forza Horizon series, which is primarily developed by Playground Games in the UK.

"Turn 10 Studios has closed the Forza Motorsport division and the team is dissolved," Russell wrote in a Facebook post. "A very sad day for one of the finest car racing video games. I cherished my time there."

In response to a question about Turn 10's overall future, Russell clarified that "the studio remains open to support the Horizon side" and that Microsoft had "only shut down the Forza Motorsport segment."

Another former Turn 10 employee, Chris Harding, indicated that "120 people" were "let go from the FM side." IGN has reached out to Microsoft for comment.

The original Forza Motorsport launched for the first Xbox in 2005, establishing the series as a core Microsoft gaming brand and a major competitor to PlayStation's Gran Turismo. Seven sequels have followed, spanning every generation of Xbox consoles.

However, the success of the open-world spin-off Forza Horizon, which debuted on Xbox 360 in 2012, has increasingly overshadowed the original sim racing series. The following decade saw four well-received Forza Horizon sequels released.

When Xbox head Phil Spencer recently confirmed the next Forza title would arrive in 2026, many assumed this meant a new Forza Horizon entry rather than a follow-up to 2023's Forza Motorsport. That installment was positioned as a series reboot but received a mixed reception at launch.

Now, reports indicate Forza Motorsport has been discontinued, with no remaining staff at Turn 10 Studios currently working on the series.

"The legacy will endure," Russell concluded, "even if the game itself has no future."