Forza Motorsport developer Flip 10 Studios has been closely impacted by this week’s brutal Microsoft layoffs, former staff have claimed, reportedly leading to Xbox’s sim racing collection being wound down.
Former Forza Motorsport content material coordinator Fred Russell has said that the franchise’s workforce is “no extra,” with remaining Flip 10 Studios staff left on the Washington-based firm now targeted on supporting the Forza Horizon collection as an alternative, which is primarily developed at British outfit Playground Video games.
“Flip 10 Studios has shuttered the Forza Motorsport house and the workforce isn’t any extra,” Russell wrote in a publish on Fb. “A really unhappy day for top-of-the-line automobile racing video video games. I liked my time there.”
Responding to a remark concerning Flip 10’s future total, Russell famous that “the studio is open to assist the Horizon facet” and that Microsoft had “shuttered the Forza Motorsport facet solely.”
Chris Harding, one other former Flip 10 Studios worker, instructed that “120 folks” have been “gone from FM facet.” IGN has contacted Microsoft for remark.
Flip 10 Studios’ unique Forza Motorsport launched for the OG Xbox in 2005, and established the collection as one among Microsoft’s core gaming manufacturers, in addition to a severe rival to PlayStation’s Gran Turismo. Seven Forza Motorsport sequels have launched since, unfold throughout each Xbox console technology.
However the collection’ unique sim racing facet has more and more been eclipsed by the success of Forza Horizon, the franchise’s newer, open-world spin-off that first launched on Xbox 360 in 2012. Following a optimistic reception, the next decade noticed 4 Forza Horizon sequels observe.
When Xbox boss Phil Spencer just lately confirmed that the subsequent Forza title would arrive in 2026, it was broadly assumed that this meant a brand new entry within the Forza Horizon collection, slightly than a follow-up to 2023’s most up-to-date Forza Motorsport, which was arrange as one thing of a collection reboot however launched to a blended response.
Now, Forza Motorsport is reportedly no extra, with nobody at Flip 10 Studios left at present engaged on it.
“The legacy will keep,” Russell concluded, “even when there isn’t any future for the sport.”