Playground Games is Staffing Up for a Mystery Project, and the Rumor Mill is Spinning
Just when I thought the biggest mystery at Playground Games was how they keep the Horizon festival insurance premiums paid, a new hiring listing has thrown a wrench in the gears.
I spend an unhealthy amount of time scrolling through LinkedIn, which is usually a purgatory of corporate buzzwords and people congratulating themselves for waking up at 4 AM. But today, I found something worth the headache (Although funnily enough not on LinkedIn itself but on reddit-). Playground Games, the studio behind Forza Horizon and the upcoming Fable reboot, has brought on a new animator for an "undisclosed project."
Naturally, the gaming community has taken this crumb of information and baked an entire conspiracy cake. I saw the resume of Jonathan Baker, a veteran animator who joined the studio this month. The kicker? His profile notes that he is "Available March 26." That is a three-month gig. In this industry, that screams "crunch support" or "shipping polish," not "we are starting a brand new ten-year saga."
The Evidence on the Table
Let's look at what we actually have before we start pre-ordering Project Gotham Racing 6.
The hire is an animator with a history of creature work—dinosaurs, pirates, stylized characters. He is not a car guy. You don't bring in a guy who animated for Walking with Dinosaurs to polish the lug nuts on a Ferrari. This points squarely away from the core Forza experience and directly toward something with legs, teeth, or perhaps a penchant for kicking chickens.
However, the internet refuses to be tempered by logic. I waded through the comment threads so you don't have to, and the theories range from the plausible to the hallucinogenic. Some think it's Banjo-Kazooie Kart. Others are convinced it's support for a floundering Turn10. Since the user explicitly requested a breakdown of this madness, I have organized the current speculation against the harsh reality of the resume.
Why the Timeline Matters
The "Available March 2026" note is the smoking gun that everyone is ignoring.
If this was a brand new, unannounced AAA title like Crackdown 4 or a new IP, you wouldn't hire a senior animator for twelve weeks. You hire them for twelve months or more. A short contract usually means the assets are already built and they need someone to make them move correctly before a deadline.
The Marketing Theory
One sharp observer pointed out this could be for promotional material. CGI trailers, in-game cinematics for a marketing push, or a "Direct" style showcase. This tracks. If Xbox is planning a massive Fable blowout for the summer showcase or a spring event, they need hands on deck right now to get those trailers looking crisp.
The Live Service Grind
Another possibility is the endless maw of Live Service content. Sea of Thieves (which the animator has worked on) is always hungry for updates. While Playground isn't Rare, the studios share technology and talent often. It is entirely possible this "undisclosed project" is just a support role for another Xbox studio that is drowning in deadlines.
I’m betting on Fable. It’s the simplest answer. The game needs to look perfect, the deadline is looming, and they need someone who knows how to make a goblin move without looking like it’s sliding on ice. But hey, if it turns out to be Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts 2, I will happily eat my words.
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