Seemingly learning a lesson from Playground Games’ successful Festival Playlist within the Forza Horizon series, the upcoming Forza Motorsport reboot will feature monthly content-adding updates.
As a way of keeping players engaged and presumably subscribing to Games Pass for longer, Forza Motorsport will feature a selection of new content – which could include a combination of new cars, tracks, career tours and online events – each and every month for the foreseeable future.
Arch nemesis Gran Turismo 7, and prior to that GT Sport, implements a similar monthly update system, which helps feed into the Sport Mode ranked races, time trials and single-player races.
Developer Turn 10 Studios has stated that Forza Motorsport will “continue to grow over time” and that it’s been built to be ” an evolving racing platform.”
Fresh tracks
Of note, the Yas Marina circuit, arriving sometime in November 2023, will include the revised layout first seen in 2021, which is unlike Spa-Francorchamps which must make do with the pre-2022 version.
The Abu Dhabi venue is known for holding a yearly Formula 1 race, and the ability to hold races during the nighttime when the track’s hotel lights up in vibrant colours. It will join the recently announced complete launch-day track roster.
A further track is set for a December 2023 launch and the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Spring 2024. It’s not clear if the game will receive a new track every single month – perhaps that’s an unrealistic expectation.
All tracks added to Forza Motorsport will be free, which is ideal for preventing online multiplayer userbase fragmentation. Bavo. Cars, however, are part of the paid-for Car Pass. Read on for more information…
Limited-time single-player events
The Festival Playlist-aping content arrives in the form of limited-time ‘featured tours’, which are single-player event groups available each month focussing on a specific car. Each tour has four sets of events (series) for each car, with a new one beginning each week. You have up to two weeks after a tour ends to complete the challenges.
Complete all four series, and unlock a ‘showcase’ event. Win that, and unlock a prize car. Your prize for the launch month of October is the 2020 Acura #6 ARX-05 DPi.
Alongside these is a series of ‘open tour’ events that will be updated each month as a live content service, the first month being themed around German cars.
For example, below is October’s line-up:
Featured Tour | Spotlight Car | Available |
Track Day | 2022 Subaru BRZ | October 5 |
Built to Race | 2020 KTM X-Bow GT2 | October 12 |
Track Exotics | 2014 Ferrari FXX K | October 19 |
Prototype Power | 2019 Ginetta #6 Team LNT Ginetta G60-LT-P1 | October 26 |
Multiplayer events
Reminding us of several other contemporary racing games with online multiplayer services, a playlist of spec series (set cars), open series (bring your own wheels) and spotlight online races will refresh each week too, with the schedule announced monthly.
For example, below is October’s line-up:
Spec Series | Open Class Series | Spotlight Series | Available |
GTX Sportscar Series | R Class Series | October 5 | |
Formula Mazda Spec Series | A Class Series | 2020 KTM X-Bow GT2 | October 12 |
Early LMP Series | C Class Series | 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS | October 19 |
Early Factory Racecar Series | P Class Series | 2019 Ginetta #6 Team LNT Ginetta G60-LT-P1 | October 26 |
Car Pass DLC
While the tracks will remain free, at least initially, 30 additional cars will be paid for via the Car Pass DLC optional add-on.
The price for the Car Pass is not yet unveiled. It will also be part of the Deluxe or Premium editions. Those on Game Pass, it’s included within a Premium Adds-on Bundle.
It begins in earnest in October, with the following four cars added throughout the month:
- 2018 Volkswagen #22 Experion Racing Golf GTI – 5th October 2023
- 2019 Dodge #9 American V8 Road Racing TA Challenger – 12th October 2023
- 1999 Nissan #23 NISMO Clarion R391 – 19th October 2023
- 2020 BMW M2 Competition Coupé – 26th October 2023
Forza Motorsport launches on 10th October 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X|S.
Source: Forza, Motorsport Images