The man who founded Turn 10 and led Forza from day one is stepping away, per an internal Playground Games memo seen by The Verge. With Turn 10 already folded into Playground, the future of Forza Motorsport is a bigger question than ever.
Dan Greenawalt, the longtime creative force behind Forza Motorsport and the founder of Turn 10 Studios, is retiring from Microsoft after almost 27 years. The Verge’s Tom Warren reported it today (Oct 29) in his Notepad newsletter, citing an internal memo from Playground Games studio head Trevor Williams.
What you need to know
- Who: Dan Greenawalt, head of Turn 10 Studios and the creative lead behind Forza Motorsport.
- What: He’s retiring from Microsoft. “Dan Greenawalt has decided that this is the right time for him to retire from Microsoft,” Williams wrote in the memo, per The Verge.
- He’s not gone overnight: Greenawalt stays on as an adviser to Williams and to Playground Games’ newly appointed chief operating officer, Michel Bastien, “while he transitions to his next phase.”
- How long he was there: Nearly 27 years, going back to Project Gotham Racing on the original Xbox in 2001.
Playground’s memo, in its words
Here’s part of what Trevor Williams wrote, as published by The Verge:
“It’s hard to overstate Dan’s impact over the past 27 years. From shipping Project Gotham Racing on the original XBOX in 2001 to leading the creation of Forza, founding Turn 10 Studios and appearing so many times on our E3 stage, usually making a dramatic entrance with a supercar in tow – and so much more – we owe tremendous thanks and gratitude to Dan. On behalf of both teams, I would like to thank Dan for his leadership, his support, and his partnership. I wish him well for whatever comes next.”
How we got here
- July 2025: More than 70 people at Turn 10 were laid off, hitting the vast majority of the studio, per The Verge.
- Late 2025: Turn 10 said it would stop adding new content (cars, tracks, features) to Forza Motorsport and stop regular updates, while keeping online multiplayer running and hosting special events through 2026.
- September 22, 2026: Xbox merged Turn 10 into Playground Games. In a memo, Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty said, “Playground and Turn 10 will come together as one studio focused on the Forza and Fable franchises.” Playground now has two locations: Playground Games Leamington Spa and Playground Games Redmond.
- Now: Greenawalt, the last big name tied to Turn 10, is retiring.
What it means for Forza Motorsport
Warren puts it plainly: with Greenawalt retiring and Turn 10 merged into Playground, “it’s not clear if we’ll ever see Microsoft return to Forza Motorsport.” The remaining Turn 10 staff are now working on Forza Horizon and Fable. Microsoft has not announced any plans for a new Forza Motorsport.
OnPoint’s take: Respect where it’s due. Dan Greenawalt is Xbox history. Project Gotham on the OG Xbox, the first Forza in 2005, all those E3 stage entrances with a supercar rolling out behind him. Forza Motorsport is a huge reason a lot of us picked a green box in the first place, and the Forza name he built is now one of Xbox’s biggest brands.
Here’s the angle people are missing: Forza didn’t die, it consolidated. Forza Horizon is the franchise that blew up, and every bit of that tech and car culture started at Turn 10. Now the people who built that foundation are under one roof at Playground, pushing Horizon and Fable. That’s a stronger Playground, and that’s good for Xbox players.
Do we want a real sim racer from Xbox again someday? Absolutely. But if this is Dan’s final lap, it’s a legendary career, and the Forza name is in good hands. Salute.
Sources
- The Verge (Notepad by Tom Warren): Microsoft’s AI future has fewer jobs (Dan Greenawalt section; Oct 29, 2026, 12:00 PM ET)
- The Verge: Xbox is merging its Forza developers into a single studio (Sep 22, 2026)
- The Verge: Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport developer hit hard by Xbox cuts (Jul 2, 2025)
- TechPowerUp: Forza Motorsport Effectively Sunset After Prior Layoffs
- Tom Warren on X: Notepad announcement post
Image: Turn 10 Studios / Xbox Game Studios / OnPoint 4 Gamers
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