Forza Motorsport Team No More Romero Games Completely Closed Following Microsoft Cuts
A chill ran through the gaming world last week as Microsoft swung the axe, lopping off roughly four percent of its workforce – a staggering 9,000 souls. The Xbox division felt the blade most keenly. Beloved first-party studios bled talent, promising projects met an untimely demise, and the highly anticipated Perfect Dark reboot vanished into the shadows. Now, the grim details are emerging: Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 Studios reportedly suffered layoffs, while Ireland’s Romero Games was brutally shuttered, leaving former employees reeling. The promise of roaring engines and innovative gameplay fades as the future of Xbox hangs in the balance.
Forza Motorsport Team ‘No More’
Rumors are swirling that Turn 10 Studios, the driving force behind the Forza Motorsport franchise, has been hit hard by recent layoffs. Whispers suggest the studio suffered significant staff reductions alongside other developers last week. Adding fuel to the fire, former Turn 10 employee Fred Russell alleges the entire Forza Motorsport team has been decimated, leaving fans wondering about the future of the beloved racing series.
The checkered flag has fallen, and the lights have gone out at Turn 10 Studios’ Forza Motorsport division. A silence now echoes where roaring engines and screeching tires once dominated. “It’s a heartbreaking day,” shared Russell in a somber Facebook post. “An era ends for what I truly believe was one of the greatest racing games ever created. My time there? Unforgettable.” A chapter closes, leaving behind a legacy of speed and passion.
The roar of engines in Forza Horizon isn’t fading anytime soon. Despite speculation, Forza overlord Russell confirmed in a comment that Playground Games’ arcade racing sensation will live to burn rubber another day. “Horizon is going to continue… for now,” he stated, a brief but reassuring message to fans fearing the series’ demise.
The future of Forza Motorsport hangs in the balance. While Turn 10 Studios clarifies that support continues for the Horizon series, a shadow falls over its simulation counterpart. Studio leadership hinted at a sunsetting of the Motorsport franchise, sparking concerns that the iconic racing sim may soon be relegated to history. One can only speculate whether this will be the last chapter for the beloved game. “The legacy will stay, even if there is no future for the game.” Those chilling words linger, leaving fans in dismay.
Romero Games Closed
Beyond the Turn 10 Studios shakeup, another blow hits the gaming world: Romero Games, the Irish studio helmed by industry titans John and Brenda Romero, is reportedly shuttered. Last week, the studio confirmed a critical funding dry-up, leaving its projects in limbo and its future uncertain.
The hammer fell at Romero Games. Overnight, over 100 employees found themselves jobless, a studio insider confirmed to The Journal.
The bombshell dropped Friday, blindsiding everyone. Just 24 hours earlier, the publisher’s lips were sealed during meetings, offering no hint of the impending decision, according to a stunned staffer quoted in The Journal.
“Funding’s dried up. Doors are shut,” the employee admitted, a sigh practically audible. “The project’s on ice, and frankly, so is the entire studio.”
The next big shooter from Romero Games? Microsoft seemingly pulled the trigger, then pulled the plug. Sources say a promising FPS and other secret projects were in development, potentially under Microsoft’s banner, before recent layoffs led to funding cuts, leaving Romero Games’ future shrouded in uncertainty.
The shadows have deepened at Xbox. Last week’s announcement hinted at cuts, but the full picture is starker: beloved projects are facing the axe. Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, delivered the grim news: thePerfect Darkreboot is shuttered, along with Rare’s ambitiousEverwild. Unseen projects, once brimming with potential, now join them in oblivion. Perhaps the most shocking blow? The Initiative, the studio behindPerfect Dark, is being closed entirely. The future of Xbox just got a lot less bright.
But the cuts went deeper than expected. Bloomberg revealed a grim roll call of Xbox casualties: from King, the kingdom builders behind Candy Crush, to the battle-hardened studios forging Call of Duty – Raven Software and Sledgehammer Games. Even the hallowed halls of Halo developer 343 Industries and the racing pedigree of Turn 10 Studios weren’t spared.
Since its 2005 debut on the original Xbox, the Forza Motorsport series has been steered by the skillful hands at Turn 10. In 2023, they unleashed Forza Motorsport, the eighth exhilarating installment, onto the racing world.
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