The new Forza Motorsport will feature 1960s Laguna Seca layout

Further details are emerging about the upcoming reboot of Microsoft’s more serious racing game, Forza Motorsport. 

Scheduled for release at some point in 2023, originally ‘Spring’, the recent Xbox & Bethesda Developer_Direct showcase highlighted further gameplay footage and over 100 ‘new cars to Motorsport’ will be included alongside the licenced real-world South African venue of Kyalami. 

Today’s Forza Monthly, 26^th January, shed further light, with the announcement of the 1960s Laguna Seca layout. 

“When I was there, the track team walked me around one of the parking lots and stopped me in the middle of it,” said Turn 10 Studios’ Creative Director, Chris Esaki. 

“They said ‘hey look, this is actually where the track used to be, the track used to drive though this area.’ 

“This was before they added the Andretti Hairpin that we all know and love, and it makes the track look like a monster with its mouth open. 

“That whole mouth open part, it just didn’t exist in the 60s and you can’t race it anymore in real life, it just doesn’t exist. 

“But you can in our game.” 

 Established in 1957, the Californian venue features a long, slow, left-hander near the start of the lap, which also includes the pitlane exit on its inside, then two nearly 90-degree turns to take you back to where the original layout existed. 

The older version will sit alongside the present-day incarnation, although footage of the former is yet to be shown at this time. The current, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, has been seen extensively for the new title in the latest footage. 

“We added this historic layout. It’s pretty cool, it’s like discovering your favourite track again,” continued Esaki. 

“Forza has always been awesome for those ‘what if’ scenarios. Just imagine what you can do with earlier cars and the historic layout.” 

The driving title will launch with 20 locations – although undoubtedly more than 20 layout variations – which have all been recreated (and for real-world tracks re-laser scanned) for the series’ relaunch.