Forza architect Dan Greenawalt retires from Microsoft after 27 years
Turn 10 Studios founder and Forza Motorsport director departs following the studio's merger into Playground Games.
What to know
- Dan Greenawalt, who founded Turn 10 Studios and directed all eight Forza Motorsport games over 27 years, is retiring from Microsoft.
- The departure follows Turn 10's merger into Playground Games last month as part of Xbox's restructuring, which earlier this year included 3,200 layoffs and four studio closures.
- Forza Motorsport's development team was reportedly laid off last year and reassigned to support the more profitable Forza Horizon series, raising doubts about any future Motorsport title.
- Greenawalt is expected to remain an advisor to Playground Games during his transition; fans online are split on whether the Turn 10 merger amounts to a real closure or a rebrand in name only.
The dispute Whether the Turn 10/Playground merger represents a genuine shutdown of Motorsport's development or merely a rebrand that preserves the team and jobs. · positions read across 14 posts and comments
This is a rebrand/merger, not a real closure — the people and office are still there.
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“Its not the closure that you would think it is. You see the office and the remaining developers are still there. The Microsoft Reset just merged Turn 10 and Playground Games into one and Turn 10 Studios rebranded to Playground Games…”
Funny_things_online · reddit ↗
The last Forza Motorsport was a disappointment, undermining sympathy for the studio's fate.
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“The last Motorsport was garbage and the Horizon games are fun but ever one is the same thing now.”
zelda29a · reddit ↗
Hope remains that Xbox will revive Motorsport or a similar racing franchise in the future.
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“I really hope Xbox will have a look and bring back a new Motorsport game next gen or a Project Gotham Racing. It's weird how there are almost no high profile racing franchises left beside Forza Horizon and Gran Turismo.”
Plutuserix · reddit ↗
Dan Greenawalt Founder/director, Turn 10 StudiosTrevor Williams Studio head, Playground GamesTurn 10 Studios Developer of Forza MotorsportPlayground Games Developer of Forza HorizonMicrosoft (Xbox) Parent company
How it unfolded 4 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlespostscomments
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Fans debate whether Turn 10's merger is a real closure
Commenters dispute whether the Turn 10/Playground merger amounts to a shutdown, with some arguing it is a rebrand in name only, while others express hope for a future Motorsport or Project Gotham Racing revival.
“I really hope Xbox will have a look and bring back a new Motorsport game next gen or a Project Gotham Racing.”
— Plutuserix -
They just slashed middle management who played a big role in it. This line of thinking is what I don't see it getting better. The problems aren't just middle management. The workers are just as complicit, as far as the worlds and stories that dragged down the brand to begin with. Also the studio sales were done to pay debt many of which were…
2 more of the top 3 · 14 posts in this stretch
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The first month everyone was running to get the Miata FE and then the Skyline FE. Once that wore off and everyone started doing races, that's where it was found that Drag tires were busted and that got nerfed in a month. Now Rally tires are the meta for less PI since semi slicks have almost the same amount of grip for more PI, among other things…
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And yet Microsoft is not gutting it because they know its a moneymaker and a iconic series of a iconic franchise. They know the potential is still there. All they did was slash middle management to restore creative freedom and merge the 2 studios to slash bureaucracy that existed beforehand even when the 2 studios collaborated. It is considered…
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Eurogamer confirms departure amid merger fallout
Eurogamer confirms Greenawalt's departure and ties it to the broader Xbox restructuring that saw 3,200 layoffs and four studio closures before Turn 10 was folded into Playground Games.
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first by Pure Xbox, 13d ago · also Eurogamer
1 more headline
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Reporting details Greenawalt's advisory role and legacy
The Drive reports Greenawalt will stay on as an advisor to Playground Games during his transition, and recounts his history from Project Gotham Racing to founding Turn 10 and leading the first four Motorsport titles.
“It's hard to overstate Dan's impact over the past 27 years.”
— Trevor Williams -
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Dan Greenawalt announces retirement from Microsoft
IGN reports, citing The Verge's Tom Warren and an internal memo, that Greenawalt is retiring after 27 years at Microsoft, where he built Turn 10 Studios and directed eight Forza Motorsport titles across four Xbox generations.
“Dan Greenawalt has decided that this is the right time for him to retire from Microsoft.”
— Trevor Williams -
3 outlets Forza Motorsport Director and Turn 10 Boss Dan Greenawalt Retiring From Microsoft After 27 Years
first by IGN Africa, 14d ago · also Mezha, IGN
1 more headline
- Forza Motorsport Creator Leaves Microsoft After 27 Years Mezha · 14d ago
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first by GTPlanet, 12d ago
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background
Xbox merges Turn 10 Studios into Playground Games — As part of Xbox's ongoing "reset," Turn 10 Studios, the Forza Motorsport developer, was merged with Playground Games, the studio behind Forza Horizon, roughly a month before Greenawalt's retirement was announced.
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background
Microsoft lays off 3,200 Xbox staff, closes four studios — Earlier in 2026, Xbox underwent a mass restructuring that cut 3,200 jobs and shuttered four studios, setting the stage for later changes at Turn 10.
What people are saying 11 voices from 1 site · best of 14 · verbatim
- Oct 31
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Bizarre Creations made Project Gotham Racing, not Turn 10. Bizarre Creations was an exclusive Sega developer (Metropolitan Street Racer) who moved to Xbox when Sega exited the console market and then created the spiritual successor to MSR which is PGR. Peter Moore came over from Sega to run the Xbox division and brought with him most of Sega’s…
- Oct 30
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Does the multiplayer in 6 still disables collision on race start and in corners, making it basically a time trial instead of racing?
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Very demanding for not much gains. They made a huge deal about it being built from the ground up, kept saying it over and over, and the game still looked worse than GT7 which is using models created for GTS last gen.
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Yeah people never buy iterations of the same game or format on an annual basis. Especialy not games with an emphasis on sports or competition.
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The last Motorsport was garbage and the Horizon games are fun but ever one is the same thing now.
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They did not relocate to the United Kingdom. They merged and rebranded to Playground Games Redmond. The closure is in name only.
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All the people who made Forza are still at Microsoft they just got folded into Playground Games.
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Its not the closure that you would think it is. You see the office and the remaining developers are still there. The Microsoft Reset just merged Turn 10 and Playground Games into one and Turn 10 Studios rebranded to Playground Games Redmond. Its all in name only. And the Motorsport specific side of Turn 10 were laid off last year anyway. If you go…
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Didn't play the last one, got tired of the same old formula without much changes. What happened to the engine ?
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he is the guy that ok the dude that did the garbarge engine for the new game that killed the motor sport series...
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Makes sense, since they basically all but closed down Turn 10. I really hope Xbox will have a look and bring back a new Motorsport game next gen or a Project Gotham Racing. It's weird how there are almost no high profile racing franchises left beside Forza Horizon and Gran Turismo.