Microsoft has reassured fans that both Turn 10 and Playground Games will continue to provide support for Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon 5. This statement comes in the aftermath of significant layoffs affecting over 9,000 employees across the company, including within its gaming divisions. Several projects, such as Rare’s Everwild and the reboot of Perfect Dark by The Initiative, have been scrapped, and around 200 staff members at King, the creators of Candy Crush, were let go, reportedly being replaced by AI tools they helped develop.

In response to the layoffs, Microsoft had previously indicated that these measures were essential to align the company for success in a rapidly changing market. Shortly thereafter, it was suggested by a former employee at Turn 10 Studios that Forza Motorsport might be discontinued, although it was confirmed that support for the Horizon series would persist.

Recently, Microsoft reiterated its commitment to the community, acknowledging the many inquiries regarding the future of the Forza franchise. They conveyed through social media that players can expect continued support for both Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon 5. They also promised to provide further updates on the forthcoming content for Forza Motorsport.

While Microsoft focused on the ongoing support for Forza Horizon 5, details regarding the future direction of the Horizon series were not addressed. Racing driver and content creator Steve Alvarez Brown, also known as SuperGT, highlighted that the announcement provided little insight into whether Forza Motorsport would continue beyond its current installment.

In recent news, Forza Horizon 5 has emerged as the highest-selling title on PS5 thus far this year, having sold over 3 million copies. Originally an Xbox exclusive, the game was made available on Sony’s platform at the end of April.

To date, Forza Horizon 5 has garnered over 45.5 million players on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, primarily through Game Pass since its launch in 2021. Additionally, it has achieved sales of 6.5 million copies on Steam within the same timeframe.