Forza Horizon 5 is showing no signs of slowing down, with Series updates adding fresh content every month. But we haven’t had a new Forza Motorsport game in five years since Forza Motorsport 7 in 2017. You can’t even buy it digitally since FM7 was delisted last year.
With Gran Turismo 7 dominating game sales, Microsoft can’t afford to keep Forza Motorsport stuck in the pit lane for much longer.
Revealed at E3, Forza Motorsport was announced for Xbox Series X|S back in July 2020 as a reboot for the franchise. A teaser trailer showcased Forza Motorsport’s high-fidelity visuals, but Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios have remained silent since the announcement. While we wait for more official information, new screenshots have leaked online.
Leaked screenshots
Posted on Reddit, the leaked screenshots are verified by the Forum moderator as legitimate. Captured off-screen from an early alpha build of the game reportedly from July 2021, the two screenshots show a group of race cars parked in the service area as well as a shot of the pit crew.
Since they’re taken off-screen, the screenshots aren’t very clear, but they give a glimpse of Forza Motorsport’s high-quality car and character models and lighting effects.
Forza Motorsport could be coming to Xbox One
What’s also notable here is that the leaker claims the build is running on Xbox One. Forza Motorsport has only been announced for Xbox Series X|S, but the leak suggests Microsoft’s GT7 rival will be a cross-gen release to maximise sales.
GT7 was also initially announced for PS5 but also released on PS4. Forza Motorsport was Microsoft’s create a truly next-gen racing game built from the ground up for Xbox Series X|S and unleash the franchise’s full potential.
Releasing it on Xbox One could hamper that potential if resources are split between last- and current-gen consoles.
While Microsoft has confirmed the Xbox Series X version will boast a 4K resolution and 60fps, the Xbox One version will likely be capped at 1080p and 30fps. The Xbox Series X version will also feature ray-tracing lighting effects.
Keep in mind that the Xbox One hasn't been officially announced yet though, so we’ll have to wait for Microsoft to confirm the platforms.
Release date
Forza Motorsport was teased back in 2020, but there is no firm release date yet. E3 2022 is cancelled, but we expect Forza Motorsport will be shown off at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase streaming on 12 June. After Forza Horizon 5 released last year, Forza Motorsport will likely release this year, possibly in September.