By “At times, we must redirect our attention”
- by Ben Kerry
During the summer, Xbox developer Turn 10 experienced significant layoffs as a component of a large reorganization at Microsoft – which resulted in the team quickly ceasing major updates for Forza Motorsport. Since that time, the studio has been recognized as a support developer for the forthcoming Forza Horizon 6 – but in a recent discussion with Famtisu, Xbox leader Phil Spencer asserts that the FM IP remains alive.
When questioned about the prospects for Halo and Forza Motorsport, Phil verified that both franchises are still part of Xbox’s strategy. Naturally, we recently learned that Halo: Campaign Evolved is the next Halo iteration – and although nothing has been established concerning the future of Forza Motorsport, the Xbox leader remarked that Turn 10 has merely “redirected focus” for the time being.
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Here’s Phil’s complete statement regarding Forza, translated roughly from Japanese:
“With regard to Forza Motorsport, we occasionally must redirect our attention to games that are released earlier. We recognize the response many individuals had when we scaled back Turn 10 Studios. We have a plethora of games we desire to support diligently, and occasionally we allow development teams a bit more time to prevent overburdening them. Our present framework provides us this adaptability.”
It appears that Turn 10 is fully engaged with Forza Horizon 6 at the moment; assisting primary developer Playground Games with its 2026 title. This is logical, considering the FH series stands as one of Xbox’s most prosperous franchises today, as recent remarkable sales for Forza Horizon 5 on PS5 have shown.
Our principal inquiry now pertains to the type of Forza Motorsport game that Turn 10 could feasibly develop in future, if the studio truly has lost roughly 50% of its personnel as previously reported. Time will reveal that – but we remain doubtful that FM will make a comeback anytime soon, at least in the form we’ve always anticipated. However, we hope that Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios can navigate their way towards the franchise’s future.
What are your thoughts on Phil’s latest remarks regarding Forza Motorsport? Share your thoughts with us below.
[source famitsu.com]
Ben is a News Writer at Pure Xbox and is a devotee of action, racing, and straightforward shooting in any Xbox games he can access. When he isn’t gripping an Xbox controller as if his life depends on it, Ben enjoys listening to music that’s far too dated for him, watching football on television, and likely dining somewhere.