Playground Games co-founder departs Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Playground Games co-founder departs Tenure spanned 12 years, five Forzas, but no Fable. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 5 Jan 2022 28 comments Playground Games co-founder and studio director Gavin Raeburn has left the company after 12 years. Microsoft shared the news in a brief statement today, first reported by Windows Central. It's unclear where Raeburn is headed next. Raeburn leaves a company he co-founded back in 2009 and helped grow into one of Microsoft's most important studios - home to the hugely-successful Forza Horizon series and, at some point, the next iteration of Fable. Watch on YouTube A veteran of the video games industry, Raeburn served 24 years at Codemasters, beginning in the age of the Commodore 64. It was there he worked on Dirt, Grid and F1, before co-founding Playground. At Playground, Raeburn and his co-founders Trevor Williams and Ralph Fulton grew the Forza Horizon offshoot into Xbox's biggest and best racing franchise. Its success has eclipsed that of the original Forza Motorsport, and helped win Playground the job of rebooting Fable. But while Forza Horizon 5, released to acclaim last year, is off to another flying start, Fable is still nowhere to be seen. Originally announced via teaser trailer back in July 2020, no new details on the Fable reboot have been released since. Watch on YouTube "After 12 years working on five award-winning Forza Horizon games, Gavin Raeburn is leaving Playground Games as studio director," Alan Hartman, Microsoft CVP of Forza and Fable, stated today. "A founding member of Playground Games, we thank Gav for his leadership and contributions to the Forza franchise and wish him all the best. Co-founder Trevor Williams will transition from general manager to studio head effective immediately, as the Playground Games team focuses on updates to Forza Horizon 5 and the development of Fable." Back in 2020, Microsoft described its plans for a Fable reboot as "a new beginning" for the fantasy franchise. Eurogamer first heard word of Playground's involvement with a new Fable back in 2018, years before it was made official. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store