Forza Horizon 5 - What We Know So Far

Microsoft dropped plenty of bombs during E3 2021, but one of the most exciting was the announcement of "Forza Horizon 5." Despite the announcement in 2020 that the next "Forza Motorsport" game was pretty far out, people still expected it to come before a new "Forza Horizon." Set in Mexico, this will be the first game in the series to be designed for the latest generation of consoles. "Forza Horizon 4" received some next-gen enhancements last year, but the new "Horizon 5" has been built for Xbox Series X|S, although it will be launching on Xbox One and PC as well.

"Forza Horizon 5" is being developed by Playground Games, which is also currently developing the new "Fable" for Xbox Game Studios. "Forza Horizon 4" is one of the best Xbox games from the past console generation, so the hype for the next game in the series is well-earned, especially since it's one of the closer Xbox exclusives on the horizon.

"Forza Horizon 5" releases on November 9, 2021, just around the corner. It's one of the few Xbox Game Studios titles releasing in 2021, alongside "Halo Infinite" and "Microsoft Flight Simulator," which recently released on Xbox Series X|S. "Forza Horizon 5" will release on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, as well as being available on Xbox Game Pass day one, for both console and PC.

"Forza Motorsport" has been on break since 2017, when "Forza Motorsport 7" was released. While Microsoft said it might be a while until the next "Forza Motorsport" title is released, some people still expected to see it before seeing another "Forza Horizon" game.

As it stands, "Forza Horizon 5" is Xbox's big holiday release, coming out on November 9. "Halo Infinite" is also set to release this holiday season, but until fans know exactly when it's coming out, it can't quite be called a big holiday game.

Microsoft came out swinging with "Forza Horizon 5" news and information, including a trailer highlighting the Mexico setting. The trailer shows different cars driving through a variety of locales in Mexico, from rainforests to deserts and small towns. The "Forza Horizon" series is best known for having an open-world environment set in a specific country, letting you drive across a variety of biomes, so expect a luscious Mexican landscape to explore.

"Forza Horizon 5" brings back the seasons mechanic from the previous game, which changes the weather and the environment on a weekly basis, shifting between the four seasons. In addition to shifting seasons, the game is also adding the brand-new feature of dynamic weather, where dust storms or thunderstorms will occur occasionally, adding more variety to the different racing events in "Forza Horizon 5." The new racing title is looking to bring as many new features and environments as it can to the series on its first next-gen outing.

Xbox gave an extended gameplay of "Forza Horizon 5" during E3 2021, showing off some of the locales, different modes, and social aspects. One of the biggest changes to the gameplay is the Horizon Arcade, which allows players to queue up to play wacky mini-games and challenges. The infamous battle royale racing mode from "Forza Horizon 4" returns, meaning that fans can still participate in the chaos of The Eliminator. In this chaotic mode, cars fall from the sky to engage in races, with the loser of the race being eliminated from the competition.

The ability to link up with other players for races also returns, allowing you and your friends to work through all of the events in the Horizon Festival together. The campaign features numerous race types and characters, rewarding you with story beats as you dominate the Horizon Festival. "Forza Horizon 5" will also feature the brand-new EventLabs, player-created maps that can range from custom races to obstacle courses.