Will Forza Motorsport finally be revealed this week?

Believe it or not, it’s been nearly two years since Forza Motorsport was formally announced at Microsoft's Xbox Games Showcase in 2020. Considering it’s also been nearly five years since Forza Motorsport 7, the last game in the franchise, raced onto Xbox and PC, Microsoft is testing fans' patience.

Since it was announced in 2020, we haven’t heard much about Forza Motorsport. Two years on, an update is long overdue. Thankfully, the long wait for news on Forza Motorsport could finally end this week. 

Will Forza Motorsport be revealed at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022?

Traditionally, this time of year is filled with major game announcements at E3, but the show has arguably lost its relevance over the years. While E3 2022 is cancelled, the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 starts this Sunday, 10 June at 6pm BST/10am PT/1pm ET.

It’s one of several game showcase events this month like Summer Games Fest to fill the void of E3. But it’s the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase that should be on the radar of every racing game fan.

When it comes to first-party exclusives, Microsoft has fallen behind Sony. As a result, fans are expecting Microsoft to reveal a deluge of exclusive games at the event.

Microsoft hasn’t revealed what will be shown yet, but we fully expect Forza Motorsport to be one of the headline games at the show. After two years of silence, we're hoping Microsoft will treat us with a full gameplay reveal and reveal the release date.

Also expect Turn 10 Studios’ Creative Director Dan Greenawalt to deliver an enthusiastic presentation about how Forza Motorsport will bring gamers and car lovers together as the original did nearly 20 years ago.

Speaking with GamesIndustry.bz, Ryan Snyder, Director of Nielsen Games, is confident we’ll find out the Forza Motorsport release date this week. 

“In trying to capitalise on the success of Forza Horizon 5, Microsoft is going to want to keep the momentum going by keeping Forza in the public eye and continuing to engage the much sought-after under 18 demographic,” he said.

After a five-year hiatus, Forza Motorsport needs to make a spectacular comeback and reclaim the crown from Gran Turismo.

Historically, Forza Motorsport was designed to compete with Gran Turismo. The reboot game will be no different. With GT7 dominating the console sim racing scene, Forza Motorsport is Microsoft’s chance to offer a compelling alternative for Xbox owners and PC players.

With a lack of content keeping players hooked long-term, GT7 feels like it was rushed for release. Turn 10 needs to capitalise on GT7’s shortcomings with a more engrossing campaign, more vehicle variety, and revolutionary driving physics and graphics that fully utilise the power of the Xbox Series X hardware.

Microsoft and Turn 10 have teased that Forza Motorsport will be a significant step forward for the franchise and set a new benchmark for console sim racers.

Billed as a “reimagining” of the series, Turn 10 has promised Forza Motorsport will have overhauled physics with a new tyre model and different tyre compounds for the first time. This means rubber compounds in each car class will have different levels of grip and wear for a more authentic driving experience.

While Forza Horizon primarily features road cars, the prominence of thoroughbred race cars in the announcement trailer hints at a larger focus on motorsport with a plethora of racing disciplines.

Our only concern is that Forza Motorsport will reportedly be a cross-gen title on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. Due to the ongoing chip shortage, the last console generation is lasting longer than anyone expected.

Forza Motorsport was originally announced as an Xbox Series and PC exclusive. But with Xbox Series console supplies still limited, this may not be the case. Allocating resources to the Xbox One version could limit Forza Motorsport’s potential, but we'll reserve judgement until Forza Motorsport gameplay is shown.

Forza Horizon 5 expansions

While we’re expecting Forza Motorsport to steal the spotlight at this week’s Showcase event, don't think Forza Horizon 5 will be neglected.

With Forza Horizon 6 not expected to arrive until next year at the earliest, players need a reason to return to FH5’s Mexican open-world – especially as Horizon’s established formula is getting increasingly stale.

To bring players back, the first Forza Horizon 5 expansion will likely be revealed at the Microsoft & Bethesda Showcase. Every game since FH2 has received two expansions, and this will be the case with FH5. Even though details are still under wraps, you can already preorder the Forza Horizon 5 Expansions Bundle, which includes the two expansions when they become available.

What the first expansion will be is anyone’s guess. Judging from previous expansions, we'll probably be travelling to a new map location. It will also likely include an exclusive collection of cars, a new campaign, and additional challenges to complete with new rewards to unlock.

After FH3’s Hot Wheels and FH4’s Lego expansions, the second FH5 expansion could be another outlandish tie-in. Fans are speculating we could get a Jurassic World-themed expansion to coincide with the theatrical release of Jurassic World Dominion this week.

Whatever the case, this could be an eventful week for Forza fans.