What Does Playground Games Do?

Total employees540
HeadquartersLeamington Spa
Founded2010

Playground Games is a British video game developer based in Leamington Spa, England. Founded in 2010 by ex-Codemasters talents Gavin Raeburn, Trevor Williams, and Ralph Fulton, the studio is renowned for developing the critically and commercially successful Forza Horizon series, an open-world racing franchise exclusive to Xbox and PC. Known for their exceptional technical expertise, stunning visuals, and engaging gameplay, Playground Games has won numerous awards, including multiple BAFTAs. In 2018, the studio was acquired by Microsoft and became part of Xbox Game Studios. Beyond racing, Playground Games is also developing the highly anticipated reboot of the Fable franchise, an open-world action RPG, marking a significant expansion in their development scope.

Where Is Playground Games's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Serves as the main development center for the Forza Horizon series, housing core teams for design, art, engineering, audio, and production. It's the central hub for the studio's operations.

Notable Features:

State-of-the-art development facilities, including advanced motion capture capabilities, sound studios, and collaborative workspaces designed to foster creativity and high-quality game production.

Work Culture:

Playground Games is known for a passionate, collaborative, and ambitious work culture. There's a strong emphasis on quality, innovation, and pushing the boundaries of game development, supported by a culture of mutual respect and continuous learning.

HQ Significance:

The Leamington Spa headquarters is pivotal to Playground Games' success, acting as the birthplace of the Forza Horizon franchise and a key studio within the Xbox Game Studios family, contributing significantly to its first-party lineup.

Values Reflected in HQ: The headquarters likely reflects values of excellence, innovation, and teamwork through its advanced technology, well-designed collaborative spaces, and focus on providing a productive environment for its talented developers.

Location:

While Playground Games' development studios are based in Leamington Spa, UK, its global presence is primarily achieved through its games, which are published and distributed worldwide by Xbox Game Studios (Microsoft). The studio actively recruits talent internationally, contributing to a diverse workforce. Their titles, like Forza Horizon, have a massive global player base, supported by global marketing and community engagement efforts from Xbox.

Street Address:

St Albans House, Cross Street

City:

Leamington Spa

State/Province:

Warwickshire

Country:

United Kingdom

Where Else Does Playground Games Operate Around the World?

Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, United Kingdom

Address: A distinct, second studio facility also located in Leamington Spa, separate from the primary Forza Horizon team's building.

To significantly expand Playground Games' development capacity within the Leamington Spa games development cluster, allowing for concurrent AAA project development by leveraging the local talent pool and establishing a focused environment for the Fable team.

Buying Intent Signals for Playground Games

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading Playground Games? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, Playground Games' leadership includes:

Trevor Williams - Studio Head
Ralph Fulton - Co-founder & Chief Creative Officer
Alan Roberts - Studio Director (Fable)
Adam Askew - Studio Technical Director

Who's Investing in Playground Games?

Playground Games has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Microsoft (Xbox Game Studios) - Acquired Playground Games in 2018.

What Leadership Changes Has Playground Games Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits0

Playground Games' senior leadership team has remained largely stable in the past 12 months (as of early 2024). The studio is heavily focused on the development of the new Fable title and continued support for Forza Horizon 5. No major public announcements of top-level executive hires or departures (e.g., Studio Head, CCO) have been made during this period, indicating continuity in its core leadership.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byPlayground Games?

Discover the tools Playground Games uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Playground Games Email Formats and Examples

Playground Games, as part of Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios, likely utilizes standard corporate email address patterns. The most common formats generally involve combinations of first name, last name, and initials.

Likely `[first_initial][last]@playground-games.com` (e.g., jdoe@playground-games.com) or `[first].[last]@playground-games.com` (e.g., john.doe@playground-games.com). Some senior or externally facing roles might also use affiliated Microsoft domain emails.

Format

asmith@playground-games.com

Example

75%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About Playground Games?

Forza.netJanuary 23, 2024

Playground Games Celebrates Lunar New Year in Forza Horizon 5 with Series 30 Update

Forza Horizon 5 received its Series 30 update, themed 'Lunar New Year,' introducing new cars, event challenges, collectibles, and festive decorations. This update underscores Playground Games' commitment to providing continuous fresh content for its flagship racing title....more

Xbox WireJune 11, 2023

Playground Games Unveils New Fable In-Engine Trailer at Xbox Games Showcase

During the Xbox Games Showcase, Playground Games presented a new in-engine trailer for the highly anticipated Fable reboot. The trailer, featuring actor Richard Ayoade, provided a glimpse into the game's world, tone, and visual fidelity, further building excitement for the upcoming RPG....more

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