Microsoft Confirms Ongoing Support for Forza Motorsport and Horizon 5, But Future Still Unclear

Microsoft says Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon 5 will continue to receive updates and support, despite major layoffs and reports that Turn 10 Studios has shut down its Motorsport division. The announcement comes after over 9,000 staff were cut across Microsoft last month, including significant losses in its gaming division. While this statement reassures players about current titles, it leaves big questions about whether the Motorsport series will continue beyond its latest entry.

The company posted a message to the Forza community, thanking players for their support and pledging that Turn 10 and Playground Games will keep working on the latest Motorsport and Horizon 5. They linked to more information about upcoming Motorsport content but avoided mentioning future Horizon installments. This lack of detail fueled fan concerns, with popular racing content creator Steve Alvarez Brown (SuperGT) calling it “zero clarity” on whether Motorsport will survive past the current game.

Reports of Motorsport’s possible end first emerged in July, when former Turn 10 content coordinator Fred Russell claimed on Facebook that the studio had “shuttered the Forza Motorsport space and the team is no more.” He clarified that Horizon would continue and that the studio would remain open to support that side of the franchise. Other former employees, including long-time content creator John Schommer, confirmed their departures, with Bloomberg reporting that nearly 50% of Turn 10 staff were laid off.

The layoffs at Microsoft hit multiple high-profile projects. Rare’s Everwild, The Initiative’s Perfect Dark reboot, and an unannounced ZeniMax MMORPG were all canceled. Around 200 staff from Candy Crush developer King were cut, with some reportedly replaced by the same AI tools they had been developing. These cuts were described by Microsoft as “necessary to position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace.”

Forza Motorsport debuted in 2005 on the original Xbox as Microsoft’s answer to Gran Turismo, producing seven sequels alongside the open-world Horizon spin-off series. Over time, Horizon grew to overshadow Motorsport in popularity and sales. Playground Games, the studio behind Horizon, is now also working on the next Fable RPG, delayed to 2026.

Forza Horizon 5 remains a strong performer. Released in 2021, it has attracted over 45.5 million players across Xbox consoles, largely thanks to Game Pass, plus an additional 6.5 million Steam sales. Its launch on PlayStation 5 in April 2025 has boosted its success further, with over 3 million copies sold on Sony’s console so far this year. Motorsport, while still respected among sim racing fans, has struggled to match Horizon’s reach.

The latest statement from Microsoft confirms that existing players will see continued updates for both Motorsport and Horizon 5, but it does not commit to any new Motorsport entries. With Turn 10 reportedly gutted by layoffs, the franchise’s long-term future remains uncertain, and fans are left to watch for clues in future updates and announcements.

For now, the Forza brand lives on — but whether Motorsport will ever see another sequel is still up in the air.