Xbox Merges Forza Studios Playground and Turn 10

Ever wondered what happens when two studios that have been tag-teaming for years finally become one? Xbox just answered that. In a big reorganisation of its gaming division, Microsoft is merging Forza Horizon maker Playground Games and Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios into a single team.

The news came via Xbox chief creative officer Matt Booty, who wrote in a letter to employees: "These two studios have been creative and franchise partners for over a decade, and today's changes will formally move their work into one team." That's a long time coming, considering they've been swapping notes on Forza games for years.

But here's the catch: the letter didn't say whether layoffs are coming to these studios. What we do know is that 268 positions at Xbox are being cut as part of a previously announced second wave of job cuts. Mergers often mean overlapping roles, so it wouldn't be shocking to see some folks let go as the two become one.

Let's talk about what each studio brings. Playground Games has been the driving force behind Forza Horizon since the first game launched in 2012. Over time, that arcade-style racer overtook the main Forza Motorsport series to become one of Xbox's biggest franchises. Forza Horizon 6 dropped earlier this year to positive reviews, and next year will see a new chapter in the Fable series.

Turn 10 Studios is even older, founded in 2001 to make racing games for Microsoft Game Studios. It focused solely on Forza Motorsport, delivering eight games with a more sim-racing feel. Forza Motorsport launched in 2023 as a new live-service era for the series, but it never really took off. After massive layoffs in July 2025, Turn 10 announced it was ending new content for Forza Motorsport and shifted to a support role for Playground.

Former Forza Motorsport content coordinator Fred Russell didn't hold back after those layoffs, saying the team was "no more" and that the studio had been effectively shuttered. Now, with the merger, it's clear Xbox is consolidating its racing efforts under one roof.

For players, this could mean a more unified Forza experience down the line, but it also raises questions about what happens to the Motorsport side. Will we see a new Motorsport entry, or will Horizon become the sole focus? Only time will tell.

What do you think about the merger? Are you excited to see what a combined team can do, or worried about the future of Forza Motorsport? Let us know in the comments.