Forza Horizon 5’s Midnight Muscle could be its last major update

Playground Games has unveiled the next Forza Horizon 5 series, which starts this week – and there are some strong hints it will be the final update as support winds down.

Titled Midnight Muscle, series 43 of Forza Horizon 5 begins on 29^th January, with the update available to download from tomorrow, 28^th January.

A new feature will allow players to change the opening cinematic. Seven start screens are available, including the standard ‘Welcome to Mexico’ intro and themed cinematics created for the previous Italian Automotive and Horizon Retrowave series.

Intros from the Horizon 10-Year Anniversary series also return, replicating the startup screens from the first four Forza Horizon games. 

Other than that, Midnight Muscle is light on new content, with only two new cars coming in the next series.

Two new cars

Befitting the muscle car theme, these are the:

• 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock
• 1995 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R

Combining the Challenger SRT Redeye’s twin-scoop bonnet with the limited-production Challenger SRT Demon’s 18-inch wheels, the Super Stock is powered by a screaming 6.2-liter Hemi V8 engine, uprated to 807hp.

Meanwhile, the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R is a road-legal track monster. Limited to 250 units, it was the most powerful Mustang ever produced at the time, with a 5.8-litre V8 engine producing 300 horsepower. Only those who intended to hit the track in endurance events could buy one, making it even more exclusive.  

Both will be festival playlist rewards, but the criteria to unlock them isn’t known. However, there’s a high chance that at least one of them will be a series progress reward, unlocked after the series ends if you collect enough points.

Furthermore, extended night cycles, Neon Airstrip, and neon decorations in racing events return from the popular Midnights at Horizon series.

Playlist voting could signal the end

While Playground Games says that Forza Horizon 5 players can look forward to “more content” in the “near future,” Midnight Muscle looks set to be the last series update with new content.

From 30^th January, a new ‘Playlist Vote’ section will allow players to vote for one of two previous playlists to return, with voting starting in the first week of each series (Summer) and closing in the third week (Winter). The winning playlist will then return in the next month’s series.

Players can vote between the High Performance and Italian Automotive playlists for next month’s series from 30^th January. However, repeated playlists won’t be identical, with some featuring different EventLab events and new events for the Hot Wheels and Rally Adventure expansions in playlists that didn’t feature them originally.  

Combined with the Ultimate Car Pack bundling all previous car DLC packs released last week, the switch to voting for old playlists to return suggests that support for Forza Horizon 5 is rapidly slowing down.

It could also be further evidence that an announcement for Forza Horizon 6, which Playground Games has yet to confirm is in development, is coming sooner rather than later.  If a new entry is on the horizon this year, it will be the longest gap in the series’ history, with this November marking the fourth anniversary of Forza Horizon 5.  

How do you feel about Forza Horizon 5 reaching the end of the road soon? Let us know in the comments below.