Since the first Forza Motorsport launched in 2005, the Forza franchise has been about falling in love with cars and building community. As a co-founder at Turn 10 Studios, I had the honor of working on the very first Forza Motorsport and have been with the studio for 20 years. In that time, we’ve grown considerably but, through it all, a constant has been our love for cars, pushing the limits of gaming technology, and creating a racing community for everyone. With less than two weeks to go before we release the brand-new Forza Motorsport globally on October 10, we wanted to share more of our vision for the game, explain how Forza Horizon titles have informed our racing sim, and share our approach for both new players and our core community.  

To start, we’ve been asked why we didn’t call this ‘Forza Motorsport 8,’ and it’s a fair question. From the beginning, we’ve designed the latest Forza Motorsport to be an evolving racing platform, with new content that adds to the experience of automotive entertainment through skill and competition. Last week we shared a little more about what players can expect with our evolving racing platform on forza.net. It’s due to this shift that we didn’t need a number in the title; we created a platform. 

Forza Horizon 5 Image

On the Horizon 

In 2012, our studio partners at Playground Games released the first Forza Horizon, putting their signature twist on open world racing while building within our ForzaTech engine. It’s safe to say their work has made the Forza franchise even better. A lot has happened since our last Motorsport title, Forza Motorsport 7. Playground Games released two incredible games, Forza Horizon 4 and Forza Horizon 5, we moved into a new console generation with Xbox Series X|S, we’ve expanded our platforms across PC, Steam and Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Game Pass has become the best value in gaming and is synonymous with Xbox.  

We’re often asked about the difference between both titles within the overall franchise. Where Forza Horizon expresses its vision through freedom and exploration, Forza Motorsport focuses on competition and honing your skills – and both focus on accessibility, authenticity, and immersion in their own way.  

As Motorsport’s roots are within racing simulation, we wanted you to be immersed as soon as you start Forza Motorsport. You’ll experience the beautifully rebuilt Maple Valley track in the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, followed immediately by the exciting Hakone circuit in Japan in the 2023 Cadillac V-Series.R. You can check out almost 18 minutes of initial gameplay of Forza Motorsport here to see for yourself. 

Forza Motorsport has a rich history of championing accessibility in gaming, innovations like the driving line have opened racing to millions of players. Forza Horizon 5 focused on accessibility and inclusive design from the first stages of development. Their innovative support for American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL) in Forza Horizon 5’s in-game cinematics was just one of their many accessibility features. All of us at Xbox embody the value that gaming is for everyone, and we’re proud that Forza Motorsport continues this tradition. Whether it’s the innovative Blind Driving Assists or One Touch Driving, thanks to the great work of our team and feedback from our incredible accessibility consultants, we’ve created our most accessible Motorsport ever.   

Forza Motorsport Image

This is Forza Motorsport 

Let’s talk a little bit more about what Forza Motorsport is at its core. We’ve used the period since our last launch to innovate, redevelop, and refocus on the very core of the game. The entire experience of racing at the limit, improving your skill, building up your car, and competing on the track have been completely rethought. Our goal was to create a live, connected, immersive, accessible, and ever-changing competitive racing platform that will evolve and grow with our community. We’ve created a more competitive, accurate, and rewarding racing experience thanks to huge, foundational improvements in our physics and AI – more than all previous Motorsports combined. If you know Forza, you will feel the difference immediately.  

At launch we will have 20 tracks from around the world with multiple layouts, including 5 new-to-Motorsport tracks, and over 500 cars. And that’s just the start. All the cars, tracks, features, and innovations are highly focused on our larger vision. Our hope is that you find the 10 or so cars that matter to you, and that these cars change over time, evolving with you as you build them and hone your skills. Our game will grow as you grow your skills, and as you find your place in this competitive and creative community. In short, we hope that you will fall in love with cars through skill and competition.  

We can’t wait to see you at the starting line. To everyone, welcome to Forza Motorsport.  

Forza Motorsport is available October 10 on Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S consoles, Windows PC and Steam, and Cloud Gaming (Beta). Pre-order the Forza Motorsport Premium Edition in the Microsoft Store so you can pre-download the full game and play it up to 5 days earlier

Xbox Live

Forza Motorsport Premium Edition

Xbox Game Studios

$99.99

• The Forza Motorsport Premium Edition includes the full game with 5 DAYS EARLY ACCESS, the Race Day Car Pack, Car Pass (30 cars delivered to your game weekly, one per week), VIP Membership and Welcome Pack. 
• Out-build the competition using more than 800 performance upgrades in the all-new, fun and rewarding single-player experience, the Builders Cup Career Mode. 
• Race alongside your friends in adjudicated multiplayer events with tire and fuel strategy, a race weekend inspired structure and new driver and safety ratings. 
• Compete with cutting edge AI opponents, advanced physics, powerful assists, new damage and dirt systems and photorealistic visuals with real-time ray tracing on-track. 
• Immerse yourself in over 500 real cars across 20 world-famous environments, including fan favorite locations and multiple track layouts, each featuring fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions.

Race over 500 real-world cars including modern race cars and more than 100 cars new to Forza Motorsport. Make every lap count across 20 living environments with fan-favorite locations and multiple track layouts to master, each featuring live on-track scoring, fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions that ensure no two laps ever look or play the same. 

Experience a cutting-edge simulation with incredible photorealistic visuals that deliver real-time ray tracing on-track, new damage and dirt accumulation systems, and massively upgraded physics featuring powerful assists and a 48x improvement in tire fidelity. 

Out-build the competition by earning over 800 performance upgrades and race our most advanced AI opponents yet in an all-new, fun and rewarding single-player campaign, the Builders Cup Career Mode. 

Compete the podium in Featured Multiplayer* events with a race weekend inspired structure or create the racing you and your friends desire in Free Play. Online racing is safer, more fun and more competitive with AI-powered Forza Race Regulations, tire and fuel strategy, and new driver and safety ratings.

Immerse yourself in an expanding world of motorsport. New career championships and online events will be regularly introduced offering unique challenges, incredible new cars and tracks, and exciting new gameplay experiences for years to come. Forza Motorsport Premium Edition includes the full game with 5 days early access, Race Day Car Pack, Car Pass, VIP Membership and Welcome Pack. 

Race Day Car Pack features 8, new-to-Forza cars built exclusively for the racetrack including high-performance machines; Car Pass delivers 30, new-to-Forza cars to your game weekly, one per week, for you to collect, build and race (available as released); Welcome Pack jumpstarts your career with 5 immediate car unlocks and $500,000 bonus credits that you can use towards purchasing the car of your dreams; and VIP Membership provides a PERMANENT 2x BOOST to BASE CREDITS, 5 Forza Edition cars reserved for VIP Members, VIP Driver Gear with 5 colorways to choose from, the VIP Player Card, VIP Crown Flair, VIP-exclusive events and more.

*(Online console multiplayer requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Core, sold separately)

Xbox Live

Forza Motorsport Deluxe Edition

Xbox Game Studios

$89.99

• The Forza Motorsport Deluxe Edition includes the full game and Car Pass (30 cars delivered to your game weekly, one per week).
• Out-build the competition using more than 800 performance upgrades in the all-new, fun and rewarding single-player experience, the Builders Cup Career Mode.
• Race alongside your friends in adjudicated multiplayer events with tire and fuel strategy, a race weekend inspired structure and new driver and safety ratings.
• Compete with cutting edge AI opponents, advanced physics, powerful assists, new damage and dirt systems and photorealistic visuals with real-time ray tracing on-track.
• Immerse yourself in over 500 real cars across 20 world-famous environments, including fan favorite locations and multiple track layouts, each featuring fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions.

Race over 500 real-world cars including modern race cars and more than 100 cars new to Forza Motorsport. Make every lap count across 20 living environments with fan-favorite locations and multiple track layouts to master, each featuring live on-track scoring, fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions that ensure no two laps ever look or play the same.

Experience a cutting-edge simulation with incredible photorealistic visuals that deliver real-time ray tracing on-track, new damage and dirt accumulation systems, and massively upgraded physics featuring powerful assists and a 48x improvement in tire fidelity.

Out-build the competition by earning over 800 performance upgrades and race our most advanced AI opponents yet in an all-new, fun and rewarding single-player campaign, the Builders Cup Career Mode.

Compete for the podium in Featured Multiplayer* events with a race weekend inspired structure or create the racing you and your friends desire in Free Play. Online racing is safer, more fun and more competitive with AI-powered Forza Race Regulations, tire and fuel strategy, and new driver and safety ratings.

Immerse yourself in an expanding world of motorsport. New career championships and online events will be regularly introduced offering unique challenges, incredible new cars and tracks, and exciting new gameplay experiences for years to come.

Forza Motorsport Deluxe Edition includes the full game and Car Pass.

Car Pass delivers 30, new-to-Forza cars to your game weekly, one per week, for you to collect, build and race (available as released).

*(Online console multiplayer requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Core, sold separately)

Xbox Live

Forza Motorsport Standard Edition

Xbox Game Studios

$69.99

• Out-build the competition using more than 800 performance upgrades in the all-new, fun and rewarding single-player experience, the Builders Cup Career Mode.
• Race alongside your friends in adjudicated multiplayer events with tire and fuel strategy, a race weekend inspired structure and new driver and safety ratings. 
• Compete with cutting edge AI opponents, advanced physics, powerful assists, new damage and dirt systems and photorealistic visuals with real-time ray tracing on-track. 
• Immerse yourself in over 500 real cars across 20 world-famous environments, including fan favorite locations and multiple track layouts, each featuring fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions.

Race over 500 real-world cars including modern race cars and more than 100 cars new to Forza Motorsport. Make every lap count across 20 living environments with fan-favorite locations and multiple track layouts to master, each featuring live on-track scoring, fully dynamic time-of-day with weather and unique driving conditions that ensure no two laps ever look or play the same. 

Experience a cutting-edge simulation with incredible photorealistic visuals that deliver real-time ray tracing on-track, new damage and dirt accumulation systems, and massively upgraded physics featuring powerful assists and a 48x improvement in tire fidelity. 

Out-build the competition by earning over 800 performance upgrades and race our most advanced AI opponents yet in an all-new, fun and rewarding single-player campaign, the Builders Cup Career Mode. 

Compete for the podium in Featured Multiplayer* events with a race weekend inspired structure or create the racing you and your friends desire in Free Play. Online racing is safer, more fun and more competitive with AI-powered Forza Race Regulations, tire and fuel strategy, and new driver and safety ratings.  

Immerse yourself in an expanding world of motorsport. New career championships and online events will be regularly introduced offering unique challenges, incredible new cars and tracks, and exciting new gameplay experiences for years to come.

*(Online console multiplayer requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Core, sold separately)

The post Welcome to Forza Motorsport: From Forza Horizon to Falling in Love With Cars appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Source: Xbox Blog