Following the brutal layoff of 50% of it’s staff in July during a huge restructuring in Microsoft, Xbox’s premier racing studio Turn 10 paused major updates for Forza Motorsport. However, during a recent interview with Famitsu before the announcement of Halo: Campaign Evolved, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has denied the decline of Forza Motorsport after mass layoffs.
During the interview with Famitsu, questions were asked regarding both Forza Motorsport and the Halo franchise and whether the IPs were coming to an end now – and Phil mentioned that this was not the case, and that both were still a part of Xbox’s plans for the future. Here is Phil’s quote in full (translated from Japanese):
“Regarding Forza Motorsport, sometimes we need to shift focus to games that need to ship sooner. We understand the reaction many had when we scaled back Turn 10 Studios. We have many games we want to support with care, and sometimes we give development teams more time to avoid putting them under constant strain. Our current structure, with multiple studios, allows for this flexibility.
Xbox Game Studios encompasses over 20 studios, each with multiple games in development, and each requiring different levels of support. Some projects require a short-term focus, while others demand a medium-to-long-term perspective. We genuinely want the games we publish to succeed. Xbox Game Studios has numerous titles in development, so please stay tuned for what’s coming.“
So, Xbox seem to be concentrating on games that will be launching soon, and placing IPs like Forza Motorsport on the back burner. Turn 10 are currently working as a support development team for Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 6, which was recently announced at the Tokyo Games Show, and this indicates that with the hugely reduced staff, any development on the future of Forza Motorsport is likely to be a long way off.
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