Xbox is shuttering the Forza Motorsport series for good.
Last week’s widespread Microsoft layoffs severely impacted several game studios at Xbox, including Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios. Last week, it was reported that the studio has seen 50% of its staff laid off. More recently, however, staff from the studio confirmed that Xbox Game Studios has also shut down the long-running Forza Motorsport driving game franchise.
The series has now been overtaken by Forza Horizon.
Forza Motorsport franchise comes to an end following layoffs
Last week’s Microsoft layoffs saw almost 10,000 employees lose their jobs, including many developers at Xbox Game Studios. An MMORPG from the makers of The Elder Scrolls Online was cancelled along with the Perfect Dark reboot, as several studios made changes due to the sudden series of layoffs.
Among the affected studios was Turn 10 Studios, the steward of Xbox’s long-running Forza Motorsport series. The Forza franchise first kicked off with 2005’s Forza Motorsport, before 2012’s Forza Horizon saw the franchise alternate between releasing games from both series.
Forza Motorsport has focused more on realistic driving simulation in past titles, whereas Forza Horizon focuses more on arcade-style racing with realistic in-game visuals. As the franchise moves forward, however, it looks like Xbox Game Studios has opted to drop the Motorsport series entirely.
Turn 10 Studios’ content co-ordinator Fred Russelll confirmed on Facebook that “Turn 10 Studios has shuttered the Forza Motorsport space and the team is no more. A very sad day for one of the best car racing video games. I loved my time there."
He later added that “the studio is open to support the Horizon side… shuttered the Forza Motorsport side only,” and that “Horizon is going to continue... for now,” in later replies to the Facebook post.
The most recent entry in the Forza franchise now also doubles as the final Forza Motorsport title, released in 2023 and aptly named Forza Motorsport. Forza Horizon 5 launches in 2021, and its developer Playground Games is now working on a reboot of the fantasy adventure franchise Fable. Fable was recently delayed to 2026.
