Forza Motorsport has been out in early access for nearly two weeks now. While there's a lot to do in the extended single-player campaign to keep you busy, most players have yet to try the online multiplayer.
According to data gathered by TrueAchievements, only 10% of Forza Motorsport Xbox players have unlocked the In the Big Leagues achievement awarded for completing the introductory online multiplayer race. This means 90% of players haven’t completed a single online race.
90% of Forza Motorsport players haven't raced online
It’s not clear why Forza Motorsport’s multiplayer numbers are so low. Since Forza Motorsport is on Game Pass, it’s possible that some players tried a few single-player campaign races before moving on to different games. Others may be focusing on the campaign to hone their skills before jumping into the online multiplayer.
It’s a similar story on Steam, too. According to Steam global achievement unlock data, around 27% of all Forza Motorsport Steam players have unlocked the In the Big Leagues achievement. These are higher numbers than Xbox but still surprisingly low.
It’s a shame because Featured Multiplayer is one of Forza Motorsport’s most celebrated new features. To capture the feel of a race weekend, featured races are scheduled at specific times with qualifying and practice sessions.
Spec races automatically tune the cars for an even playing field, while open races let you bring any car you’ve built within a class. A driver safety rating system also ensures clean and fair racing. It's a marked improvement over online multiplayer in past Forza Motorsport titles.
A slow start
Unfortunately, it’s not just the multiplayer numbers that are low. Forza Motorsport has had a slow start at retail after failing to reach the top 20 UK boxed charts, debuting at number 23. Game Pass and the rise of digital sales are certainly factors, but it’s still a disappointing debut for one of this year’s most anticipated Xbox titles.
Steam players are also lower than expected, with a peak 4,703 player count at the time of writing compared to Forza Horizon 5’s 81,096.
Hopefully, player numbers will increase over time, because Forza Motorsport is one of the best racing games on Xbox Series X|S and a strong Gran Turismo competitor. Forza Motorsport hasn’t been without issues at launch, but the recent 1.0 patch update has improved the experience with bug fixes and changes to car progression that reduce the grind.
For more on Forza Motorsport, check out our full review.
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