Microsoft's recent wave of layoffs has reportedly claimed one of Xbox's most iconic racing franchises, with the Forza Motorsport development team at Turn 10 Studios being completely disbanded. The move marks the end of an era for the simulation racing series that has competed directly with PlayStation's Gran Turismo for nearly two decades.
The End of a Racing Legacy
Former Forza Motorsport content coordinator Fred Russell confirmed the devastating news through a Facebook post, stating that Turn 10 Studios has shuttered the Forza Motorsport space and the team is no more. Russell, who worked at the studio until 2016 but maintains connections within the company, described it as a very sad day for one of the best car racing video games. The layoffs reportedly affected approximately 120 people from the Forza Motorsport side of operations, representing what Bloomberg's Jason Schreier indicated could be up to 50% of Turn 10's total workforce.
Studio Restructuring Favors Open-World Racing
While the original Forza Motorsport team has been eliminated, Turn 10 Studios remains operational with a dramatically reduced focus. The remaining staff will now concentrate solely on supporting the Forza Horizon series, which is primarily developed by British studio Playground Games. Russell clarified that the studio is open to support the Horizon side and that Microsoft had shuttered the Forza Motorsport side only. This strategic shift reflects the commercial reality that the open-world Forza Horizon franchise has significantly outperformed its track-based predecessor in recent years.
From Xbox Pioneer to Casualty of Corporate Strategy
The original Forza Motorsport launched alongside the original Xbox in 2005, establishing itself as one of Microsoft's core gaming brands and a serious challenger to Sony's Gran Turismo series. Seven sequels followed across every Xbox console generation, with the most recent entry arriving in 2023 as a series reboot. However, this latest iteration received mixed reviews and failed to recapture the franchise's former glory, earning only a Mixed rating on Steam despite some positive critical reception.
Horizon's Ascendancy Seals Motorsport's Fate
The writing had been on the wall for Forza Motorsport as its open-world sibling continued to dominate. Forza Horizon, which debuted on Xbox 360 in 2012, has seen four successful sequels, with Forza Horizon 5 earning critical acclaim and a 90% review score for its innovative approach to arcade racing. When Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently confirmed that the next Forza title would arrive in 2026, industry observers widely assumed this referred to a new Forza Horizon entry rather than another Motorsport installment.
The closure of the Forza Motorsport team represents more than just corporate restructuring—it signals the end of Microsoft's commitment to simulation racing in favor of the more commercially viable open-world format. As Russell poignantly noted, The legacy will stay, even if there is no future for the game.
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| A dynamic scene highlighting the thrill of racing, reminiscent of the Forza Motorsport gaming series now discontinued |