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Subscribe to the world's #1 PC gaming mag Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£35.99View Early Prime Day Deals Essential Hardware PC Gaming Show Dune: Awakening Recommended reading EA says Codemasters won't be making any more rally games: 'We've reached the end of the road working on WRC' Gaming Industry 'There has to be a better way than this': Game developers call Microsoft's latest layoffs 'a colossal waste of talent' from a publisher that seems like it's in 'a death spiral' Gaming Industry Phil Spencer retirement rumor is made up, says Microsoft Real-life rally racing is dying and triple-A rally games are dead, but the sport's gotten a second life thanks to these excellent indie racers F1 25 review: Commendable upgrades, but this is fundamentally the same game as before Rare's Everwild has been cancelled amidst Microsoft's enormous cuts to staff and studios Gaming Industry Phil Spencer says Microsoft's gaming business has 'never looked stronger' as the company announces yet another round of mass layoffs Former Forza dev says original Motorsport series died in Microsoft's cuts, but Forza Horizon lives on Ted Litchfield 5 July 2025 Developer Fred Russell left the studio in 2016, but presumably still has connections at Turn 10. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Microsoft) First reported by Eurogamer, former Forza content coordinator Fred Russell has stated on Facebook that the Forza Motorsport series has been effectively killed by Microsoft's most recent wave of mass layoffs, but that the Horizon spinoff series will continue. Russell left Forza developer Turn 10 in 2016, but appears to still have inside contacts at the company. "Turn 10 Studios has shuttered the Forza Motorsport space and the team is no more," Russell wrote on Facebook. "A very sad day for one of the best car racing videogames. I loved my time there." In response to a comment asking if Turn 10 would cease making games altogether, Russell responded that "Forza Horizon will continue at this point." The axing of one major franchise while another carries on lines up with other reporting on how Turn 10 was affected by the layoffs. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier posted on Bluesky that up to 50% of Turn 10's staff had been let go from the company. Related Articles EA says Codemasters won't be making any more rally games: 'We've reached the end of the road working on WRC' 'There has to be a better way than this': Game developers call Microsoft's latest layoffs 'a colossal waste of talent' from a publisher that seems like it's in 'a death spiral' Phil Spencer retirement rumor is made up, says Microsoft Forza Motorsport was the original incarnation of the series, offering a classic, track-by-track experience that served as Microsoft's answer to Gran Turismo on PlayStation. Forza Horizon emerged as an open world spinoff of the series in 2012, and it seems to have eclipsed its progenitor in popularity. The most recent entries of each were the confusingly-named Forza Motorsport in 2023⁠—really Forza Motorsport 8, for those keeping track⁠—and Forza Horizon 5 in 2021. Though sitting at "Mixed" reviews on Steam, PCG contributor Phil Iwaniuk gave Forza Motorsport an 80% in his review, praising its execution of the arcade racing format, even if it failed to innovate or take risks. Meanwhile, PCG editor-in-chief Phil Savage awarded a 90% score in his review of Forza Horizon 5, writing that it was "a ridiculous car playground masquerading as an open world racing game." 2025 games: This year's upcoming releases Best PC games: Our all-time favorites Free PC games: Freebie fest Best FPS games: Finest gunplay Best RPGs: Grand adventures Best co-op games: Better together The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Forza Motorsport Forza Horizon 5 Ted Litchfield Social Links Navigation Associate Editor Ted has been thinking about PC games and bothering anyone who would listen with his thoughts on them ever since he booted up his sister's copy of Neverwinter Nights on the family computer. He is obsessed with all things CRPG and CRPG-adjacent, but has also covered esports, modding, and rare game collecting. When he's not playing or writing about games, you can find Ted lifting weights on his back porch. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. EA says Codemasters won't be making any more rally games: 'We've reached the end of the road working on WRC' 'There has to be a better way than this': Game developers call Microsoft's latest layoffs 'a colossal waste of talent' from a publisher that seems like it's in 'a death spiral' Phil Spencer retirement rumor is made up, says Microsoft Real-life rally racing is dying and triple-A rally games are dead, but the sport's gotten a second life thanks to these excellent indie racers F1 25 review: Commendable upgrades, but this is fundamentally the same game as before Rare's Everwild has been cancelled amidst Microsoft's enormous cuts to staff and studios Latest in Racing Wreckfest 2's latest update lets you drive a grotty motorhome that's definitely had meth cooked in it, and ensures that 'realistic damage mode is now more realistic' Atari's reboot of Mad Max-style racer Fatal Run is coming later this year, and its new trailer shows a hefty dose of Burnout in its irradiated DNA Mario Kart 64 has a native PC port now thanks to the mad lads even Nintendo can't stop, who also ported Zelda and Star Fox Real-life rally racing is dying and triple-A rally games are dead, but the sport's gotten a second life thanks to these excellent indie racers Sonic Racing: Crossworlds just declared war on Mario Kart by becoming the true Smash Bros. of kart racers, bringing drivers from Minecraft, Persona, Yakuza—oh, and Hatsune Miku F1 25 review: Commendable upgrades, but this is fundamentally the same game as before Latest in News After nearly 4 years, Windows 11 is finally more popular than Windows 10 Even the beginner zone in Dune: Awakening isn't safe from sandworm-manipulating griefers anymore Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the anime so good it made Cyberpunk 2077 cool again, is getting a sequel Ratatan, the new rhythm game from the designer of Patapon, delays early access release in response to negative demo feedback In the wake of Perfect Dark's cancellation, Joanna Dark's voice actor urges fans to help save the series: 'Agent Dark doesn’t give up and neither should any of you' Deep Rock Galactic board game Kickstarter pulls in nearly $1 million in 1 day for a trio of new expansions HARDWARE BUYING GUIDES LATEST GAME REVIEWS Best gaming chair in 2025: I've tested a ton of gaming chairs and these are the seats I'd suggest for any PC gamer Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads Best graphics card for laptops in 2025: the mobile GPUs I'd want in my next gaming laptop Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most Best 14-inch gaming laptop in 2025: The top compact gaming laptops I've held in these hands NZXT N7 Z890 review NZXT N9 X870E review NZXT N9 Z890 review Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review Razer Joro & Basilisk Mobile review PC Gamer is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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