Microsoft has reassured its player base that both Turn 10 and Playground Games will continue to support “Forza Motorsport” and “Forza Horizon 5,” amidst recent widespread layoffs that impacted over 9,000 employees across the company, including its gaming divisions.
These cuts led to the cancellation of projects such as Rare’s “Everwild,” The Initiative’s “Perfect Dark” reboot, and a new ZeniMax MMORPG. Additionally, approximately 200 staff members were laid off from Candy Crush developer King. Microsoft previously stated the layoffs were “necessary to position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace.”
The reassurances for the Forza franchise come after reports from a former Turn 10 Studios employee suggested “Forza Motorsport” was “no more,” though it was noted that the “Horizon” series would continue. In a social media post, Microsoft addressed the “Forza Community,” stating, “We wanted to assure players that Turn 10 and Playground Games will continue to support Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon 5. To start, here’s more info about what’s coming next to Forza Motorsport,” linking to a webpage with further details.
However, the statement did not outline future plans for the “Horizon” franchise beyond continued support for “Forza Horizon 5.” This lack of clarity was highlighted by racing driver and content creator Steve Alvarez Brown, known as SuperGT, who commented that “this offers zero clarity as to whether Forza Motorsport will continue beyond the current game.”
Despite the uncertainty surrounding future titles, “Forza Horizon 5” has demonstrated significant commercial success. It emerged as the highest-selling game on PS5 this year to date, surpassing 3 million copies sold since its release on the platform at the end of April. Since its initial launch in 2021, “Forza Horizon 5” has been played by over 45.5 million players across Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, largely through the Game Pass subscription. Furthermore, the game has sold an additional 6.5 million copies on Steam since 2021.
