Gran Turismo Dominates the Racing Scene as Forza Motorsport’s Future Remains Uncertain
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
When it comes to the console wars, the rivalry between sim racers Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport was once a significant battleground. PlayStation's flagship franchise has always enjoyed enormous attention due to its legacy on the PS1 and PS2. However, there was a period on the PS3 where it started to lose its edge. Many favored Forza Motorsport, especially compared to the oft-delayed Gran Turismo 5, which struggled with inconsistent presentation and undercooked features. Fast-forward to today, and there's no real contest anymore. Gran Turismo 7 has revved back in a strong way, while Forza Motorsport's long-in-development Xbox Series X|S reboot massively underperformed, finishing 463rd in the UK sales charts for the year of its release. Reports this week revealed that almost 50% of developer Turn 10's staff had been let go as part of Xbox's devastating wave of layoffs. Former developer Fred Russell has stated, "the team is no more." Russell left the studio prior to this latest round of redundancies, although will likely still have connections to the team. In full, Russell's comment reads, "Turn 10 has shuttered the Forza Motorsport space and the team is no more. A very sad day for one of the best car racing video games. I loved my time there." Microsoft has shifted the franchise's focus to the more arcade-style open-world sub-series Forza Horizon, which has been selling incredibly well on PS5 of late. With Gran Turismo 7 already dominating the more serious racing market on PS5, and with enthusiast options like iRacing on PC, there just isn't a place for the Forza Motorsport brand anymore. The remaining staff at Turn 10 will likely continue to help out with the Forza Horizon franchise, which is expected to continue.
