Playground Games

History

Playground Games was founded by Gavin Raeburn, Trevor Williams, and Ralph Fulton; the studio was announced in November 2009, with its opening scheduled for early 2010. Playground Games announced their first project, Forza Horizon, in 2012. The title was developed in collaboration with Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Studios for Xbox 360 in October that year. The studio released Forza Horizon 2 on Xbox 360 and Xbox One in September 2014, and Forza Horizon 3 on Xbox One and Microsoft Windows in September 2016.

In February 2014, Playground Games announced that they were forming a new development team focused on mobile games. In February 2017, the studio detailed plans to open a second studio, focusing on a non-racing open-world video game project. In November, they announced they had leased St. Albans House in Leamington Spa, which would provide the new studio with more than 17,000 square feet of office space. Expected headcounts for both studios were in excess of 200 people. In 2024, a third studio was opened in Leamington Spa to assist with the development of Fable.

At E3 2018, Microsoft announced they had acquired Playground Games, which became part of Microsoft Studios (now known as Xbox Game Studios). At the same time, Microsoft Studios also announced Forza Horizon 4, which would be released on 2 October 2018, and that the studio was working on an unannounced AAA Open-World Action RPG project, later revealed to be in the Fable franchise.

In January 2022, it was reported that co-founder and studio director Gavin Raeburn left Playground Games to open his own studio, while GM Trevor Williams replaced him as studio head.

Games developed

References

References

1. Kerry, Ben. (8 October 2025). "Xbox's Playground Games Grew Substantially In 2024 To Prepare For Fable & Forza Horizon 6".
2. Field, Matthew. (2018-06-11). "Microsoft buys UK game studio behind Forza Horizon". The Telegraph.
3. Gartenberg, Chaim. (10 June 2018). "Microsoft announces Forza Horizon 4 for Xbox One and PC".
4. (October 4, 2019). "Playground Games Hiring For "Entirely New AAA Open World Action RPG"".
5. (3 April 2017). "Introducing the 100 most influential people working in the British games industry - 2017".
6. (5 October 2009). "Trevor Williams quits Codemasters".
7. (5 March 2012). "Playground confirmed as Forza Horizon developer".
8. TWK. "Fast Track".
9. (13 June 2016). "E3 2016: Forza Horizon 3 Revealed, Release Date Announced - IGN".
10. Chapple, Craig. (20 February 2014). "Playground Games forms new mobile team".
11. Batchelor, James. (7 February 2017). "Playground Games opening second studio for open world game".
12. (2017-08-09). "Major expansion at Leamington gaming company".
13. Cleaver, Sean. (22 November 2017). "Playground Games secure a new Leamington Spa office".
14. Batchelor, James. (23 November 2017). "Playground Games hires GTA V, Metal Gear Solid and Hellblade devs for open-world action RPG".
15. Tolbert, Samuel. (29 July 2024). "The developers of Forza Horizon and Fable at Xbox appear to be getting a third studio, but for what?".
16. Yin-Poole, Wesley. (10 June 2018). "Microsoft buys Ninja Theory, Playground Games, more".
17. Grubb, Jeff. (10 June 2018). "Microsoft Game Studios just added five new studios including Ninja Theory".
18. "Forza Horizon 4 Announced".
19. (27 March 2023). "New AAA studio Lighthouse Games formed by Playground co-founder Gavin Raeburn".
20. Corden, Jez. (5 January 2022). "Playground Games' co-founder Trevor Williams is set to replace Gavin Raeburn as Studio Head".