Welcome to Rear View Mirror, your weekly racing game news roundup.
Join us as we shift into reverse and look back at the biggest racing game news stories that hit the headlines this week.
New Forza Motorsport gameplay and details coming soon
The wait for new Forza Motorsport information is nearly over.
One of 2023’s most anticipated new racing games, Forza Motorsport is breaking cover at Microsoft’s Xbox & Bethesda Developer_Direct stream on 25 January.
Microsoft promises to “share more gameplay and exciting new details” about the Forza reboot during the stream. This will be our first glimpse of Forza Motorsport since June last year, so the pressure is on for Turn 10 to impress.
We’re hoping to get a deep dive into Forza Motorsport’s cars, tracks, and gameplay, as well as a confirmed release date.
Forza Horizon veterans leave Playground Games to form new AAA studio
Not long after Criterion Games lost key staff who worked on Need for Speed Unbound, several Forza Horizon veterans have left Playground Games to form new AAA studio Maverick Games.
Among the staff leaving Playground Games are Forza Horizon 5’s Creative Director Mike Brown and Playground Games Lead Producer Tom Butcher.
The newly formed studio is working on a “new premium open-world game.” With so much racing game talent on the team, we’re hoping it’s a new open-world racer to take on Forza Horizon and Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown.
Gran Turismo creator criticises the current state of sim racing
Sim racing has a dedicated fanbase, but Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi has criticised the lack of accessibility when it comes to expensive hardware.
Speaking with Japanese games media, Yamauchi thinks sim racing needs “something that is easier for everyone to pick up,” referring to a time when cheaper wheels like the original Logitech GT Force were available.
In other racing game news…
We’re only two weeks into the FORDzathon series, but Playground Games is already teasing what players can expect in Series 17 next month.
As the name implies, Japanese Automotive will focus on Japanese cars and feature a new collectible and EventLab props as well as new challenges.
One of the new cars in Japanese Automotive is likely to be the 2023 Nissan Z as the Japanese sports car was a clue in a recent Torben Tuesday crossword puzzle.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kazunori Yamauchi has discussed the future of Gran Turismo 7, covering topics such as future monthly updates and the final car count. He also touched on the possibility of a Tourist Trophy 2.
In other Gran Turismo news, Super Formula has teased that the new Dallara SF23 could come to Gran Turismo 7 in a future update.
As we wait for official news on this year’s F1 game, Sky F1 pit lane reporter Natalie Pinkham has hinted that she might appear in F1 23’s Braking Point story.
GRID Legends received a surprise VR release on Meta Quest and we got a first glimpse of TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 3 gameplay.
Ffree-to-play KartRider Drift also skidded onto PC and mobiles this week and iRacing received a new 2023 Season 1 patch tweaking the balance of performance for several cars.
In case you missed it…
With this year’s F1 game expected to arrive in the summer, we reveal three things that would make F1 23 the perfect F1 game.
Now that senior staff have left Playground Games, we’re hoping Forza Horizon 6 will head in a bold new direction with fresh blood in the creative team.