Aug 11, 2023

Forza Motorsport Promotes Social and Competitive Online Racing

Forza Motorsport - T10Yaachts

Today on Forza Monthly we introduced you to our online racing modes in Forza Motorsport: The new Featured Multiplayer experience, Private Multiplayer, and Rivals. Our multiplayer feature set delivers clean and competitive racing and provides a robust foundation for you to set up the racing you and your friends want.

Featured Multiplayer

For the next delivery in the Forza franchise, we have invested more in the multiplayer experience than in any other aspect of the game.

One of the biggest things we’ve added to multiplayer in Forza Motorsport is a live, real-world time-based mode of pre-defined live events we call Featured Multiplayer. It’s designed to have the feel of a real-world race weekend, with races scheduled to begin at specific real-world times. This new online racing mode consolidates the Hoppers and Leagues modes from previous games.

Featured Multiplayer has spec events for different car divisions like GT cars, LMP1 cars and Touring cars, open class and spotlight events, as well as a qualifier series for our new players. Each event has an entry cut-off and official start time , running live on our servers, and before entering , you will see the track layout, number of laps, time-of-day, weather, and temperature.

We intend for Featured Multiplayer to bring a sense of anticipation and spectacle, just as we see for real life racing events. And as racing weekends tend to have, there will be an Open Practice stage and Qualifying rounds for races in Featured Multiplayer:

Open Practice:

Make the most out of your prep time here in Open Practice: get to know the car track combo and dial in your tire compound selection and fuel load.
You will have anywhere between 5 and 20 minutes or more to get your practice laps in and Qualify depending upon when you joined the event.

Qualify:

At any time before the Featured Race you can jump into the Qualify session. You will have a limited number of laps to put in your best lap. Your best time will determine your starting position at the beginning of the Featured Race.

You can join an event anytime during Open Practice or Qualifying, up to 5 minutes prior to the Featured Race, and then entry for that event closes for new participants. When you join an event, you start in Open Practice with up to 23 other players.

Skip Lap will also be available in Featured Multiplayer in both the Open Practice and Qualifying phases of a scheduled event. In essence, when you think you messed up a lap, you can use Skip Lap to start it all over again. You can access this feature from the start menu.

Using Skip Lap during Qualifying will make your current lap void and you will have to start over with reduced number of laps you have to attempt your best time.

We’ll generally have at least one event available to join in each series in Featured Multiplayer at any time with new events starting roughly every 30 minutes. Parameters for each event will be varied, with different tracks, weather, and time of day, and rotate through multiple series.

There are two different types of events in Featured Multiplayer – Spec Series and Open Series.

Spec Series

Spec racing is fully homologated to ensure an even playing field. That means all the cars racing are identical and have been tuned by us to provide the fairest and most competitive experience possible.
You can still earn CarXP from Spec Series events to level up your car later, however for these events you will not be at a disadvantage if your car is Level 1 and an opponent car is at Level 50 – if you’re playing in the Spec series, they will be set to a pre-defined build and tune to keep a completely even challenge.

Open Series

Open Series is where you can bring any car that meets the class restrictions. This series is about bringing your mild to wild creations to the competition and you’ll never know what is going to be on the track with you. The Open Series will be rotating through the various car classes on a weekly basis.

Featured Multiplayer also includes a variety of pitting features, adding in the element of managing your tire compounds and fuel loads for optimal performance. In shorter races there is no need to pit, however in longer races it may be necessary to change tires or refuel, and we’ll even have some races that require it.

While you’re racing, we want to make sure our players are having a fun and fair experience, so we’ve massively overhauled Forza Race Regulations. FRR has evolved immensely since Forza Motorsport 7 thanks to machine learning. It now identifies track cutting, purposeful collisions and all-around dirty driving, going from being able to identify hundreds of potential infractions in Forza Motorport 7 to thousands in the new Forza Motorsport. Players will receive penalties and race disqualifications based on the severity of incidents.

Matchmaking in Featured Multiplayer uses both your Driver and Safety Rating to pair you with similar players. Driver Ratings are skill-based, while Safety Ratings are influenced by on-track behavior. With Safety Ratings, players are graded for clean racing from S to F, and it means clean, skilled racers play together, while racers with a history of unsportsmanlike conduct are kept isolated in their own pool.

Private Multiplayer

For more custom races, compete in Private Multiplayer and choose from a variety of game modes like Circuit Race, Timed Race, Multi-Class and Meetups. The host can customize the race length, the car class and track selection, as well as the race rules.

Event rule presets are where you can choose the kind of racing you want to prioritize, from a relaxed race with limited penalties and no race strategy, to a competitive event with strict penalties, required pit-stops, and simulated damage.

Organizers can use Private Lobbies to host authentic endurance races with race strategy, Forza Race Regulations, 24-hour dynamic time-of-day with weather, track temperatures, and rubbering in, all of which can be customized. Other options include collisions on/off, ghosted back markers, disabled ghost effect, cosmetic or simulated damage, grid ordering, roll off delay, and so on. Assist overrides can be enabled to dial in the specific gameplay for your race.

Upgraded Cars in Multiplayer

We want players to feel more of a sense of pride of ownership or accomplishment in Forza Motorsport when they show up for a race with a specific car. So that's why we have our car upgrade system built into the entire game – you earn progression on your car when you play Builders Cup, Free Play, Rivals, and multiplayer. We also think this introduces an element that is like how real-life racing works – you spend time in research and development making your car better for the upcoming race.

We want you to have fun with this system, empower your fellow community members, and engage their creativity. For example, if your team is preparing for an upcoming league race organized by a community group, you can host a Private Meetup where everyone tries out specific cars and builds them together.

To assist with this, we’ve reduced the credit cost of acquiring cars – the most expensive car now is now in the hundreds of thousands instead of millions of credits as it was in Forza Motorsport 7.

We know this is a big change from how Forza Motorsport has been in the past, but we think it will bring more elements of real-world racing into the game experience overall and make it more impressive and noteworthy when someone shows up to a non-spec multiplayer race with a fully upgraded car.

Rivals

Rivals in Forza Motorsport is where you’re invited to really push yourself and the car to shave off every possible millisecond on a selected car and track combination.

Time Attack will be available at launch, where you can build a car to the best of your chosen PI class and attempt to set the fastest possible time. Just like Builders Cup, the cars you bring into Time Attack are always levelling up.

Rivals now includes a Skip Lap option for when you quickly wish to restart. You’ll also be able to identify which corners and track segments you are losing the most time on with Track Mastery sector scoring.

See You at the Starting Line

Forza Motorsport is coming October 10 to Xbox Series X|S consoles, Windows 10 and 11 PCs via the Microsoft Store and Steam, and Xbox Game Pass for console, PC and Cloud Gaming (Beta). Pre-order the Forza Motorsport Premium Edition and play the full game up to 5 days early. Here is where you can discover the included add-on packs and the other versions of the game available for pre-order.

Steam players, add Forza Motorsport to your wish list today to be notified of when pre-orders are available for you.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2440510/Forza_Motorsport/

If you missed it before, check out our gameplay walkthrough of the Builders Cup, Forza Motorsport's new single-player career mode, as well as this deep dive into the advanced Drivatar AI opponents and upgraded tire physics.

Aug 11, 2023

Discover Italian Automotive in Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5 - T10Yaachts

Calling all Italian Automotive fans, this update is for you: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia all return in our biggest Forza Horizon 5 car drop ever! Get ready to experience Italy’s automotive excellence with 16 cars for your garage. This includes 8 cars immediately obtainable in the Autoshow from Tuesday, August 15 and 8 cars unlockable in the Italian Automotive Festival Playlist over the next four weeks, beginning on Thursday, August 17 running through September 14, 2023.

To ensure you can store and customize all of these cars, we’ve increased the total garage space from 1,000 to 2,000 cars and the save slots for tunes and liveries from 600 to 1,000. Your feedback on the Suggestions Hub helped us prioritize these improvements, so please keep sharing your ideas so we can understand which changes would be the most beneficial to our players.

Games Fixes & Release Notes

Here’s a look at some of the fixes and improvements you can look forward to in this update:

Increased the total garage size from 1,000 to 2,000 cars.
You can now save up to 1,000 tunes and 1,000 liveries, up from 600 each.
Fixed an issue with the Auction House where sometimes last-minute bid extensions were not functioning correctly
Fixed different issues regarding drivatars and videoclips not working as intended in Icons of Speed
Fixed an issue with Seasonal EventLab were blueprints downloads and usage were not getting counted correctly when participating in Coop/PvP modes
Fixed an issue in Seasonal Playground Games King Mode which had a total time of 10 minutes instead of 8
Fixed different issues with car decorations and elements (stickers, colors, parts, among others) were not being shown as intended
[PC] Improvements made to some unusual long loading times particularly on Windows Store PC clients before the start of the game window
[PC] Improvements made to some instances where the game client was crashing while booting the game
[PC] Fixed an issue where the unlocked framerate option would be hidden incorrectly

Once the Italian Automotive update has released for download on Xbox, Windows and Steam, we will publish the release notes with the full list of included fixes. Here’s where you can stay in the know with the issues that we’re investigating. Remember to report any game bugs that you encounter on the Troubleshooting Hub, our official issues tracker available on the Forza Forums.

Italian Exotics Car Pack

Give your Forza Horizon 5 garage the finest masterpieces of Italian design. The Italian Exotics Car Pack introduces 7 meticulously crafted new-to-Forza cars for you to collect and drive:

2023 Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica

With a design inspired by the Super Trofeo Evo2 racing line, the latest Huracán model has improved aerodynamics, stability, and has enhanced the overall driving experience without losing the striking and iconic Lambo DNA we all love and recognize at a glance. The Huracán’s mighty 5.2-liter V10 engine has 630 CV that can (and will) send you flying at 201mph. This new Huracán is built for the driver as it features new connectivity functions, customization of interiors, and different driving modes to give you the feel you want out of its electromechanical rear-wheel drive. Huracán Technica is a bridge between Lamborghini’s supercar pedigree and its future.

2022 Ferrari 296 GTB

The Ferrari 296 GTB redefines what a supercar is by putting together a petrol V6 and an electric engine that together can deliver 830 CV. The GTB is the very first Ferrari road car with an electric engine attached to the back of the combustion one and allows drivers to use both or stick to the electric only. 2022’s Gran Turismo Berlinetta’s build is centered on balance: the hybrid system is designed to give the car the lowest gravity center possible by placing the battery in the lowest position available. This car’s engine and overall design is inspired by Ferrari’s racing history taking ideas from the 156 F1, the 250 LM, and the 126 C2; and it will not shy away from the incredible speed and power offered by its predecessors.

2020 Ferrari Roma

The 2020 Ferrari Roma can be described with just two words: Style and Speed. The timeless and elegant design on the Roma conceals a powerful 3.8-liter turbo V8 engine capable of producing 620 CV. Aerodynamics were an integral part of this vehicle’s design: an active rear wing increases downforce and allows drivers to take corners quickly without losing an ounce of style, and the entire body of the car allows creates low drag when taking off. 70% of the Roma’s components are completely new and designed to improve the power-to-weight ratio making it one of the best of its class. 0-60mph will take you only 3.4 seconds, making the 2020 Ferrari Roma a must have for drivers who love to look good when going fast.

2020 Lamborghini Essenza SCV12

Just when you thought Lambo’s couldn’t get any wilder, the Essenza SC12 gets unveiled. This track-only monster is equipped with a 6.5-liter V12 engine that can produce a face-melting 819bhp. Born and raised to be fast, the Essenza’s chassis is built completely on carbon fiber which makes it weigh in at only 1376kg (3033.56 lbs). Every detail of this car’s exterior is designed to improve aerodynamics, air flow, and provide cooling for the engine, and, of course, scream “I want to go fast” when you look at it. This hypercar might be the pinnacle of Squadra Corse’s work to this day.

2020 Lamborghini SC20

The striking image of a one-off Lambo truly is a sight to be seen. The 2020 SC20 is a custom build with racing roots, original details, aerodynamic design, and the biggest engine Lamborghini has ever made: a 6,498 CC V12 with a seven-speed ISR transmission. The car is covered top-to-bottom in carbon fiber that has been polished by hand and is designed to allow the car to drive comfortably even at high speed. This no-roof, no-windshield, no-nonsense vehicle is a huge contender for the “Poster Car King” title.

2019 Italdesign DaVinci Concept

Built to mark the 500th anniversary of Leonardo DaVinci’s passing, the Italdesign DaVinci is an all-electric concept grand tourer that pays homage to one of the greatest and most iconic Renaissance artists and inventors. It’s designed first and foremost to be premium with intricate styling and details throughout both the exterior and interior, as if it’s a work of art by DaVinci himself. Its electric motors drive all four wheels, though Italdesign has approached this as a modular car that allows various electric motors and batteries to be swapped in from different automakers. If a petrol-powered car is desired, then it’s even possible to swap out the inner workings for a more conventional drivetrain. In fact, Italdesign tried and tested this themselves with a 4.0-litre V8 prototype showcased at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. While its overall aggressive looks and large gull-wing doors are certain to catch the attention of many, it’s the modularity provided by the DaVinci Concept that would certainly appeal most to esteemed car enthusiasts. If the DaVinci ever enters full production someday, which Italdesign says it could after a few small tweaks, then it’d certainly set a new bar for not only the constantly evolving electric vehicle market, but also the concept of car modularity and premium automotive design.

2018 Lamborghini #63 Squadra Corse Huracán Super Trofeo Evo

The successor of the Lamborghini racing breed is here with a brand-new body kit developed by Lamborghini’s Motorsport division which includes a rear fin and a roof air intake. The Super Trofeo’s styling was a hint at the future of its makers supercars that incorporate similar styling lines and features for road-friendly vehicles. But it’s not just about the striking and certainly unique exterior, the Super Trofeo Evo packs with a massive punch with its 5.2-liter V10 engine that produces 620 CV at 8250 rpm that made it run Monza in 1:34.3. And now you have more reasons to make this the car of your choice to run any GT World Championship.

Once the pack is purchased, you are granted a one-time only, free addition of each car to your Forza Horizon 5 garage, with no additional in-game credit cost. The Italian Exotics Car Pack is available from August 15 for USD $9.99 / GBP £7.99 / EUR €9.99 on the Microsoft Store and Steam. It is not included with the Forza Horizon 5 Car Pass, Standard, Deluxe or Premium Editions.

New Autoshow Cars

The Horizon Festival’s local mechanic has been busy as 8 iconic Italian cars enter the Autoshow. Once you’ve updated Forza Horizon 5, drive over to any Horizon Festival Outpost or Player House to browse the latest additions. Tune them up in your garage and check out the sights of Mexico while behind the wheel of some of Italy’s most exquisite machinery.

1968 Abarth 595 esseesse

Available for 35,000 CR in the Autoshow.

What it lacks in power and refinement it makes up for in character and likability. The Abarth 500 is an Italian design inspired by the VW Bug, and 100% built for Italians. But you don’t have to be from Italy to appreciate its glorious sound and adorable form. The Cinquecento is an acquired taste but, like most good things, once you have acquired a taste for them, they become a part of you.

2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

Available for 120,000 CR in the Autoshow.

It’s been 21 years since Alfa Romeo sold cars in the United States, and one drive of the new Giulia might infer they spent the entire time making sure their next entry was perfect. The Giulia Quadrifoglio is all Alfa Romeo, with exotic lines, delicate styling touches, and the performance you expect from an Italian sport sedan. In Quadrifoglio dress the biggest treat is the 505 horsepower Ferrari-derived 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6. Not only is it four-letter fast, but the sonorous rumble it emits is stunning from idle to redline. The front bumper on Quadrifoglio models is aggressive looking and, in the rear, you will find the gigantic rear diffuser and a gorgeously protruding exhaust. It’s been a long time to wait for the new Giulia, but by any measure it was worth it.

1968 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale

Available for 15,000,000 CR in the Autoshow.

One of the most beautiful cars ever built, the lightweight and powerful Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale also holds the record of being the most expensive new car sold in the U.S. of its time (at around $17,000). Initially as many as three of the extremely rare Stradale came to North America; today, only two remain on the continent. The car modeled for Forza Motorsport 5 is part of one of the greatest private collections of Italian cars in the world. These cars were ahead of their time, using butterfly-style doors, large wrap-around glass, twin-spark ignition, dual-overhead cams, a six-speed Coletti transmission, and plenty of lightweight magnesium parts. As you start the two-liter V8 engine, it doesn’t take long to realize the powerplant is only inches behind your head. With an RPM redline of 9,500 —outrageous for 1968 — you hear a symphony of sound from rumble to scream.

1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ2

Available for 4,000,000 CR in the Autoshow.

Based on the success of the TZ1, a lightweight, space-frame race car, the TZ2 was lighter, lower and more powerful. Both cars were built by the team at Autodelta made up of owner Carlo Chiti, and design engineers Oarzio Satta and Guisseppe Busso. When the design work for the TZ2 took place Alfa Romeo had purchased Autodelta and given them responsibility for all of Alfa Romeo’s race development and team management. Since the TZ2 was to be a factory racer and would not have to meet homologation requirements, Autodelta was able to focus solely on performance and consider new concepts. Following Porsche’s lead as used in the 904 Carrera GTS, the body of the TZ2 is made of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP). This alone allowed the TZ2 to shed nearly 100kg (220.46 lb), but, in addition to the lighter weight, the TZ2 also had an all-new, fully adjustable suspension. The body, designed by Ercole Spada of Zagato, sat a mere 41 inches high, and many have called the TZ2 a “mini-Ferrari GTO.” Under the hood, is a delicious 1.6 liter inline four, prepared by Virgilio Conrero's Autotecnica Conrero shop in Torino. The TZ2 dominated GT-class racing for 18 months, thoughts of putting one into production were toyed with but never realized. This was the last front-engine racing Alfa before the Tipo 33 took over.

1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA Stradale

Available for 300,000 CR in the Autoshow.

Alleggerita means “lightweight” in Italian, and by modern standards the Giulia gran turismo alleggerita is lighter than a dust mote, weighing in at less than 1,700 lbs. Prepared by Alfa Romeo’s competition department, Autodelta SpA, the GTA shaves weight off nearly every component. The outer panels are aluminum, and the steel monocoque is thinner gauge as well. The side glass was tossed, and plastic windows fitted, and racing-style magnesium alloy wheels round out the package. The rev-happy motor wears a twin-spark head with larger carburetors, making more power out of the 1750cc motor. When you take it all in, it’s the same gorgeous Bertone coupe shape as the regular Giulia GTV, trimmed down to fighting weight and packing a roaring twin-cam four. It’s understandable, then, how this timeless, classic road homologation version complements the race winning GTA Corse models.

1980 Fiat 124 Sport Spider

Available for 25,000 CR in the Autoshow.

The Fiat 124 Sport Spider brought an affordable option to the road in Europe and America, and was largely unchanged, for nearly 20 years. In 1980 it had a fuel-injected 2.0-liter motor to motivate the sleek lines of its Pininfarina body. Over the course of its production run, more than 200,000 models were sold, with around 75 percent sold in the United States.

1992 Lancia Delta HF Integrale EVO

Available for 100,000 CR in the Autoshow.

An F1 car for rally is one way to classify this robust, any condition, any surface racer. From a distance it resembles its distant, much milder, yet still capable cousin the Lancia Delta. Underneath, the bloodline is pure purpose-built racecar. A turbocharger lay rubber from all four wheels; try not to choke on its dust.

1974 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale

Available for 550,000 CR in the Autoshow.

It’s shockingly beautiful and ready to raise the hairs on your neck tearing up the back roads. Built from the ground up to dominate Group 5 rally and then tamed for the street, the Stratos is very quick. Its timeless design is as attractive today as the day it first touched rally stages.

What’s Next

The next Forza Horizon 5 update celebrates our Horizon Creatives with some new community-requested improvements to EventLab. Stay tuned for details in September!