In an internal memo, Playground Games studio head Trevor Williams revealed that Turn 10 Studios head Dan Greenawalt is departing the company. He is leaving after almost 27 years with the Forza Motorsport creators.
According to the memo, obtained by The Verge, Greenawalt will remain as an advisor to Williams and the new Playground Games CCO Michel Bastien “while he transitions to his next phase.” It goes on to reflect on Greenawalt’s impact on Turn 10:
“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.”
The announcement comes over a month after Xbox announced the restructuring of several of its key studios. As part of that restructuring Playground and Turn 10 were merged “as one studio focused on the Forza and Fable franchises.” It is unknown what this may mean for the future of the Forza franchise, especially considering Greenawalt’s departure. The most recent entry in the franchise, Forza Horizon 6, is available now on Xbox Series X|S and PC. It will release on PlayStation 5 on January 26, 2027.
The other studios reorganized under Xbox are as follows:
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- Activision will expand its remit to World’s Edge, as well as Rare. Activision will also be developing the next Halo title, led by a new, purpose-built team that is separate from ongoing development and plans for Call of Duty. A small team at Halo Studios will continue supporting the Halo community and games in-market.
- Bethesda will expand its remit to include Obsidian, which will continue its current projects, including Grounded, as well as the new Fallout project made in collaboration with Bethesda Game Studios.
- King will expand its remit to include Microsoft Casual Games, uniting our two global leaders in casual game design and live operations.
