Just a few days in the past, we discovered that Microsoft had gutted considered one of its longest-running studios, laying off roughly 50% of Flip 10, the stewards of Forza Motorsport. The writing was already on the wall, however now a former worker is alleging what we feared: Forza Motorsport isn’t any extra.
That’s in keeping with Fred Russel, a former content material creator at Flip 10. Now, earlier than we proceed, it must be mentioned that Russel hasn’t labored on the firm for round a decade, so scepticism is wholesome. It’s very possible he nonetheless has contacts on the studio who’ve fed him info, however who can know for positive?
Posting on his Fb web page, Russel mentioned “Flip 10 Studios has shuttered the Forza Motorsport house and the group isn’t any extra. A really unhappy day for the most effective automotive racing video video games.”
Nonetheless, Russel was questioned by one other former worker of each Flip 10 and Playground Video games, Kayla Goullaud, who labored as a group supervisor. She requested Russel the place he had heard the data, stating: “I don’t imagine the house is shuttered, neither is the studio closed.”
Russel replied, “the studio is open to help the Horizon aspect… shuttered the Forza Motorsport aspect solely.”
His phrases barely contradict his prior assertion of “the group isn’t any extra.” Maybe, although, he merely meant that the core of what was Flip 10 is now gone.
Being a help studio implies the opposite 50% of the group that was not laid off within the preliminary stories are certainly nonetheless employed and dealing, even perhaps nonetheless beneath the Flip 10 title, even when they’re now nothing greater than further horsepower for the way more standard Forza Horizon sequence.
A fast flick by LinkedIn does reveal Flip 10 staff are nonetheless lively and posting about surviving the cull. To date, I haven’t seen something confirming what Flip 10’s position shall be, however with such an enormous discount in workers it looks like a protected wager that one other Forza Motorsport gained’t be made by them. There’s a slim likelihood that Playground Video games may take it over, however they’re undoubtedly already very busy with Forza Horizon and the upcoming Fable. Certainly, Phil Spencer has hinted that each Forza and Fable will launch in 2026.
It’s additionally not clear whether or not the bodily Flip 10 house has been or is being closed, like Russel suggests, or if it’ll stay open. I think about it will likely be closed, although, to additional scale back prices, except there isn’t sufficient house to maneuver the Flip 10 workers over to Playground Video games.
We can also’t rule out the chance that the surviving Flip 10 group will proceed to replace and help Forza Motorsport, a recreation which was designed to be an ongoing live-service model title. If Microsoft didn’t see any worth in making a full sequel, then reducing the workers in half and persevering with with a small help group makes chilly, exhausting enterprise sense.
For now, although, we have no idea precisely why Flip 10 was hit so closely. After all, the earlier Forza Motorsport appears the almost definitely trigger. Whereas the prior video games launched each 2 years, Forza Motorsport took 6 years to launch, popping out in 2023 however launching in a state that followers weren’t comfortable about. Solely in latest months with steady updates from the group has participant sentiment appeared to essentially flip round, with many individuals commenting that it took them 2 years to repair the sport.
In the meantime, the Forza Horizon video games have gone from power to power, gaining a a lot bigger participant base within the course of and even drifting over to PlayStation the place it seems to have carried out properly for itself.
