Forza Motorsport is not dead — that’s the key message Xbox boss Phil Spencer wants fans to walk away with, after months of silence around Turn 10 Studios’ flagship sim racing series. Even with a reduced team and a recent pivot to support Forza Horizon 6, the future of the Forza Motorsport franchise is still, according to Spencer, part of Xbox’s broader strategy.
What happened to Turn 10?
Let’s rewind a bit. Back in the summer of 2024, Microsoft initiated a major reorganisation across Xbox Game Studios, resulting in widespread layoffs. This restructuring didn’t spare Turn 10 Studios, with reports suggesting the team was cut down significantly — some estimates place the reduction at nearly 50%.
Shortly afterward, development updates for Forza Motorsport came to a screeching halt. It didn’t take long for alarm bells to ring across the fanbase: was Xbox about to shelve one of its longest-running racing sims?
All eyes on Forza Horizon 6
Instead of doubling down on Motorsport, Turn 10 has switched gears to provide support for Forza Horizon 6, which is currently set for a 2026 release. Mainline development on the next Horizon title is still being led by Playground Games, but Turn 10 is now heavily involved, assisting behind the scenes.
Given the critical and commercial success of Forza Horizon 5 — including its surprisingly strong debut on PS5 — it’s no shock that Xbox is prioritising the more arcade-style spinoff series. Horizon has arguably become the crown jewel of Xbox’s racing portfolio, and Microsoft clearly wants to keep that engine running smoothly.
So … what’s the fate of Forza Motorsport?
In a recent interview with Famitsu, Phil Spencer weighed in on both Halo and Forza Motorsport. While Halo: Campaign Evolved has officially been revealed as the next step for Master Chief, Motorsport fans are still stuck in a fog of uncertainty.
But Spencer maintains that Forza Motorsport isn’t going anywhere. It’s just taking a pit stop.
“Regarding Forza Motorsport, we sometimes need to shift our focus to games that are released sooner,” said Spencer, via a translated excerpt. “We understand the reaction many people had when we scaled back Turn10 Studios … Our current structure allows us this flexibility.”
In other words, the decision to scale back wasn’t a death sentence — it was a strategic pause. Spencer emphasises that Xbox wants to manage internal workloads more carefully, avoiding developer burnout and allowing studios more breathing room between projects.
Where does that leave Motorsport fans?
Honestly? We’re cautiously optimistic. Sure, having your favourite sim racer go radio silent while its dev team shifts to a different project is far from ideal. And when you’ve reportedly lost half your dev staff, it’s tough to imagine cranking out a technical, high-fidelity racer like Forza Motorsport without a hit to quality or release cadence.
Still, the fact that Spencer explicitly called out the franchise and reaffirmed its place in Xbox’s plans is something.
Whether we see a reboot, a live service revamp, or a full-blown sequel remains to be seen. But Motorsport clearly hasn’t been parked for good.
Time to play the long game
If you’re a Motorsport loyalist, the wait is going to be tough — especially while Horizon continues to soak up the limelight. But you know what? If Xbox plays this right, gives Turn 10 the breathing room it needs, and learns from what made Horizon 5 so magnetic, there’s still hope for Motorsport’s return to pole position.
Until then, maybe boot up the latest patch, get some laps in, and keep your fingers crossed that Forza Motorsport lives to race another day.
