Xbox Merges Playground Games and Turn 10 Into One Forza and Fable Studio

Xbox is bringing Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios together as a single development organisation focused on the Forza and Fable franchises. The change formally combines the teams behind Forza Horizon and Forza Motorsport as part of Microsoft’s wider restructuring of its gaming division.

Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty said the two studios have been technological, creative and franchise partners for more than a decade. Microsoft’s restructuring announcement says the change will formally move their work into one team.

Two Forza Studios Become One

Playground Games has been the primary developer of the Forza Horizon series, while Turn 10 Studios has developed the mainline Forza Motorsport games. The two teams have operated separately while sharing technology and working closely across the broader Forza franchise.

Xbox is now removing that organisational separation. The combined studio will focus on both Forza and Fable, with Playground’s existing work on the new Fable already providing one of the group’s major development responsibilities.

The change does not mean Forza Horizon and Forza Motorsport automatically become the same game or franchise. Microsoft has only confirmed that their development teams will operate within one studio.

Forza Horizon 6 Is Already Out

The restructuring comes shortly after the release of Forza Horizon 6. Developed by Playground Games, the game launched in May 2026 and takes the open-world racing series to Japan.

The official Forza Horizon 6 page lists Playground Games as the developer and describes a map spanning Japanese environments, including Tokyo, alongside more than 550 real-world cars.

The game is available on Xbox Series X|S and PC, with Xbox Play Anywhere support and Game Pass availability. That gives the newly combined organisation an established Horizon project while it also prepares for the next major Fable release.

Fable Adds Another Major Responsibility

Playground Games is also developing the new Fable, an open-world action RPG set in the series’ reimagined version of Albion. Xbox currently lists February 23, 2027, as Fable’s release date.

Microsoft’s official Fable listing confirms Playground Games as the developer and Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC as the listed platforms. The game is also planned for Game Pass.

That means the combined studio will be responsible for two established Xbox properties with very different development requirements: the open-world driving of Forza Horizon and the role-playing systems of Fable.

What Happens to Forza Motorsport?

The restructuring leaves questions about the future of Forza Motorsport. Microsoft’s announcement confirms that the two studios are becoming one and that the new organisation will focus on Forza and Fable. Still, it does not announce a new Forza Motorsport game or provide a new development schedule for the series.

Turn 10’s most recent release is Forza Motorsport, which launched in 2023 and has continued to receive updates since. The official Forza Motorsport 20th anniversary update describes the 2023 title as the latest game in the series and documents continued content and feature updates.

That means the merger itself should not be treated as confirmation that Forza Motorsport has been cancelled. At the same time, Xbox has not announced a new Motorsport project as part of the September restructuring, leaving the franchise’s longer-term development plans unclear.

Why Xbox Is Combining the Teams

Microsoft says the broader goal is to operate fewer business units, align groups that already work closely together and concentrate publishing expertise. Playground Games and Turn 10 already had a long working relationship, making them one of the groups affected by that strategy.

The change also brings technical resources and franchise knowledge from both organisations into a common structure. Forza has historically depended on technology developed across both teams, while Playground has used its experience with the Horizon series while building Fable.

The official Forza website still identifies Turn 10 as the creator of Forza and Playground Games as the developer behind Forza Horizon, reflecting the two studios’ separate histories even as their organisational structure changes.

A Larger Xbox Reorganisation

The Playground and Turn 10 combination is only one part of Microsoft’s latest Xbox restructuring. The company also announced that Activision will expand its responsibilities to include World’s Edge and Rare. At the same time, Activision will form a new purpose-built team to develop the next Halo title.

Bethesda is taking responsibility for Obsidian, while King is expanding its remit to include Microsoft Casual Games. Microsoft also announced changes involving several studios moving toward new ownership or management arrangements.

The September announcement included 268 additional role eliminations across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and Xbox Game Studios management and central functions. Microsoft said the completed changes had brought the previously announced restructuring roughly three-quarters of the way to completion.

What the New Studio Structure Means

Forza and Fable will now sit within the same development organisation. Still, Microsoft has not detailed how individual teams will be structured internally or how responsibilities will be divided among the franchises.

The immediate situation is clearer for Forza Horizon 6 and Fable, both of which already have established development paths. The less certain area is Forza Motorsport, because Microsoft’s latest announcement does not name a new project or provide a timetable for the simulation-focused series.

For players, the organisational change therefore matters mainly because it changes who will manage development of some of Xbox’s most recognisable franchises. The impact on future releases will depend on how Microsoft organises the combined team and what projects it announces next.

Final Verdict

Xbox’s decision to bring Playground Games and Turn 10 Studios together marks a significant change to the structure behind the Forza franchise. The new organisation will focus on Forza and Fable, formally combining two teams that have worked together for more than a decade.

Forza Horizon 6 provides the combined studio with an active racing franchise, while Fable remains a major upcoming project. The future of Forza Motorsport is less clear because Microsoft has not announced a new instalment alongside the restructuring.

For now, the confirmed change is organisational: Playground and Turn 10 are becoming one studio. More details about the combined team’s projects and Forza Motorsport’s future direction will depend on Microsoft’s subsequent announcements.