Playground Games recently released Forza Horizon 4 to spectacular review scores. The game currently sits at 92 on Metacritic and may even go a little higher. However, it doesn't seem like the developer is resting on its laurels because the studio is actively hiring for its next big project.
According to a report by GearNuke, Playground Games is looking for 177 positions to fill at the moment. The studio's LinkedIn page is asking for employees like Gameplay Engineers and Concept Artists. The listing says that these developers will work on "an entirely new AAA open world action / RPG project." It's unclear if this is the Fable game the team is supposedly working on, or another experience altogether. Given the hiring spree, it seems like this is going to be a new game, separate from the Forza Horizon and rumored Fable teams.
At E3 2018, Microsoft announced that it was acquiring studios like Playground Games and Ninja Theory. It wouldn't be surprising if this hiring spree is for a separate game. Microsoft painfully lags behind Sony and Nintendo when it comes to first-party exclusives. Games like Horizon Zero Dawn and God of War have not only garnered critical acclaim, but they've also helped the PlayStation 4 solidify its lead over the competition.
Hopefully, in a few years, Microsoft will be able to push out quality games like them too. Aside from Forza Horizon 4 and its prequel, the other games from first-party developers have been disappointing. That needs to change sooner rather than later. The company needs to have the most powerful console and the best exclusives to succeed in this increasingly-competitive market.
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