Forza Horizon 5 creative director Mike Brown has spoken out about Xbox's ongoing wave of studio closures and layoffs, arguing that the underlying concept of Xbox Game Pass was sound even though its commercial failure is now driving the cuts. Brown, who left Microsoft-owned Playground Games in 2023 and is now working on the racing game Clutch, said the subscription service's struggles matter because they have led to studios being shut down or spun off and many developers losing their jobs, despite the original idea being well-intentioned and player-focused.

Speaking to MinnMax, Brown said Microsoft invested heavily in Game Pass, acquiring studios and funding games on the assumption that enough players would subscribe to make the service financially viable, but not enough people signed up at the required price point. He also praised former Xbox boss Phil Spencer and ex-president Sarah Bond, both of whom have been blamed by new Xbox head Asha Sharma for the strategy's shortcomings, describing Spencer as a "great leader" and Bond as highly competent despite facing harsh criticism online.