Dan Greenawalt, one of the creators of the Forza racing franchise and a longtime leader at Turn 10 Studios, is reportedly preparing to retire from Microsoft after nearly 27 years with the company.
His departure comes during a major restructuring of Microsoft's gaming division, which includes plans to merge Turn 10 Studios with Playground Games, the developer behind Forza Horizon.
According to an internal memo attributed to Playground Games studio head Trevor Williams, Greenawalt has decided that this is the right time to retire.
He is expected to remain temporarily as an adviser to help with the leadership transition.
The reported departure represents another significant change for the Forza franchise, particularly as the future of the Motorsport series remains uncertain.
Dan Greenawalt Helped Establish the Forza Franchise
Greenawalt has been closely involved with Microsoft's racing games for more than two decades.
His contributions began with Project Gotham Racing, which launched alongside the original Xbox in 2001.
He subsequently helped establish Turn 10 Studios and develop Forza Motorsport into one of Xbox's major racing franchises.
Over the years, Greenawalt became a familiar figure at Microsoft's gaming presentations, frequently introducing new racing titles alongside real sports cars.
In the reported internal memo, Williams praised Greenawalt's leadership and contributions to both Turn 10 and Playground Games.
His departure follows several organizational changes affecting Microsoft's racing game development teams.
Microsoft Plans to Merge Turn 10 and Playground Games
Microsoft announced plans in September 2026 to combine Turn 10 Studios and Playground Games into a single organization.
The decision forms part of a broader restructuring that also includes merging Obsidian Entertainment into Bethesda and transferring responsibility for Halo to Activision.
The restructuring reportedly involves another 268 employee layoffs.
Turn 10 had already shifted toward supporting Playground Games and the Forza Horizon franchise following the release of Forza Motorsport in 2023.
This change has raised questions about whether Microsoft intends to continue developing dedicated Motorsport titles.
Former Turn 10 developer Fred Russell previously suggested that the Motorsport series had effectively ended following earlier workforce reductions.
However, Microsoft has not formally confirmed that the franchise has been permanently discontinued.
Forza Motorsport's Future Remains Uncertain
Greenawalt's reported retirement arrives at a difficult time for the Motorsport series.
Turn 10's transition toward supporting Forza Horizon suggests Microsoft is concentrating more resources on its open world racing franchise.
However, the studio merger does not necessarily mean that future simulation focused Forza games are impossible.
Microsoft has not announced a new Forza Motorsport installment or provided details about the franchise's long term direction.
Greenawalt's departure would mark the end of an important period in Xbox racing game development, given his involvement in establishing and expanding the series.
For now, the reported leadership transition and studio consolidation leave questions about how Microsoft plans to manage the Forza franchise in the coming years.
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