According to a report by The Verge, Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios was among those hit the hardest in the latest massive round of Microsoft layoffs.
The sources cited by the publication suggest the 'majority' of the employees were fired. The number given was more than 70. As a result, the remaining employees would be just enough to continue supporting the latest Forza Motorsport game, which launched in October 2023 to positive critic reviews. Our own Chris Wray wrote at the time:
While Forza Motorsport is a good game with more than enough things going for it, there's something that just isn't that exciting. Forza Motorsport is a good game, and it's a return to form for the core Forza series - one that seriously faltered while the Horizon spinoff went from strength to strength. If, for an odd reason, you have yet to pick this up on Game Pass (or otherwise), then take this as a recommendation. Forza Motorsport is a very good racing game, a return to form for the series, and a good sign for the future of the series.
However, long-time fans did not share the same enthusiasm as critics did. The aforementioned lack of content and the RPG-like car progression system were highly criticized. While Microsoft never shared player figures, it is widely believed that the game did not meet sales expectations.
Needless to say, Xbox fans might be wondering where this leaves the future of such a core Xbox franchise like Forza Motorsport. Will Microsoft bring in new hires to work on a new project, and if so, how long will it take? These are just two more questions among a veritable sea of doubts and concerns sparked by the latest Xbox cuts.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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