Key Takeaways
1. Microsoft reassured the Forza community that Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon 5 will continue to receive updates and support despite recent layoffs.
2. Turn 10 Studios, the developer of Forza Motorsport, experienced significant staff reductions, with reports indicating nearly half of its workforce was let go.
3. The reassurances came after players expressed concerns about the future of the Forza series due to a lack of communication from the official account.
4. Major layoffs at Microsoft’s gaming divisions affected around 9,000 employees, impacting various studios including Raven Software and Sledgehammer Games.
5. Remaining team members at Turn 10 Studios will focus on collaborating with Playground Games for the development of Forza Horizon 6, expected to launch in 2026.
Microsoft has reassured the Forza community that its popular racing games, Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon 5, will keep getting updates and support. This comes amid worries about job cuts at Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios, including Turn 10 Studios, which is the developer for Forza Motorsport.
Community Reassurance
The company reached out to Forza players through a post on X from the official Forza Motorsport account:
“Dear Forza Community, we know that many of you have questions about what’s next for the Forza franchise, and we appreciate the support of our incredible community. We want to assure players that Turn 10 and Playground Games will continue to support Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon 5.”
It’s important to highlight that this message was shared after players began expressing worries regarding the future of the Forza series, especially since the official Forza Motorsport account had not posted since June 30. Additionally, there were reports indicating that nearly half of the staff at Turn 10 Studios, which handles Forza Motorsport games, were let go.
Major Layoffs
These reassurances come after a tumultuous period in July 2025 for Microsoft’s gaming divisions, where significant layoffs impacted several studios and around 9,000 employees worldwide as part of a larger restructuring initiative. Jason Schreier from Bloomberg reported that Raven Software, which supports the Call of Duty franchise, also faced cuts, alongside 50% of Turn 10’s workforce being affected.
Other teams experienced similar outcomes, including Sledgehammer Games, High Moon Studios, and King’s mobile division, which saw about 200 employees being let go.
Shift in Focus
Turn 10 Studios gained more attention on July 3, the day of the layoffs, when ex-content coordinator Fred Russell took to Facebook to say that the Forza Motorsport team was “no more” and that the studio had “shuttered the Forza Motorsport space.” He described it as “a very sad day for one of the best car racing video games.”
Russell also mentioned that the remaining team members at Turn 10 would now focus on working with Playground Games for the development of Forza Horizon 6, which is anticipated to launch in 2026.
In reaction to Russell’s comments, former designer from Turn 10 Studios, Chris Harding, said that “120 people” were laid off from the Forza Motorsport team. However, it should be noted that this number hasn’t been confirmed by Microsoft.
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