Microsoft is combining Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios into one studio as part of a wider Xbox reorganization, according to The Verge. Playground makes the Forza Horizon series, while Turn 10 has been responsible for Forza Motorsport.
Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty said in a memo that the combined team will focus on the Forza and Fable franchises. The companies have been technological, creative and franchise partners for more than a decade, he said, and the restructuring formally puts their work under one team.
What it means for Forza
The immediate emphasis is on Forza Horizon and Fable, which Playground Games is developing. That leaves a notable question around Forza Motorsport: The Verge says the restructuring does not spell out whether Microsoft will return to that series or concentrate on Horizon instead.
The change follows a difficult year at Turn 10. The Verge reports that more than 70 people at the studio were laid off last year, affecting most of the team. Staff who remain are expected to move to Playground Games to work on Forza Horizon and Fable.
The studio combination is one piece of a broader Xbox shake-up. The Verge reports that Activision is taking responsibility for Halo, Rare and World’s Edge as Microsoft rearranges the teams behind several of its biggest game franchises. The announcement identifies the new reporting lines, but it does not set out a release plan or a decision on Forza Motorsport’s future.
Tech