Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios was reportedly hit hard by the recent wave of Microsoft layoffs, with over 70 employees losing their jobs.
Sources cited by The Verge indicate that the majority of the affected staff were let go, leaving only enough personnel to maintain support for Forza Motorsport, which launched in October 2023 to generally positive critical reviews.
Despite the praise, Forza Motorsport struggled to fully captivate its fan base. Critics highlighted the game’s strong return to the core Forza experience, especially after the Horizon spinoff soared in popularity. However, long-time fans expressed concerns about the lack of content and criticized the RPG-like car progression system, which felt out of place for a racing sim. Many players were not as enthusiastic as the critics, and the game’s sales didn’t meet Microsoft’s expectations. While Microsoft hasn’t revealed any official player numbers, the general belief is that the game didn’t live up to its potential in terms of sales.
The layoffs raise even more questions about the future of Forza Motorsport and the franchise as a whole. With a significant number of talented developers now gone, Xbox fans are left wondering what’s next for one of their key franchises. Will new hires be brought in to work on future projects, and if so, how long will it take for them to make an impact? These questions loom large amid the growing uncertainty caused by the recent cuts. Still, fans remain hopeful that the core of the Forza team will continue to support the series and that improvements could be seen in future updates or titles.