Editor's note: Although Turn 10 has decided not to number the next Forza Motorsport game, we have called it Forza Motorsport 8 in the headline and the body to avoid confusing it with the first title in the series with the same name, which we also mention. We have also labeled it Forza Motorsport (2023) and use these terms interchangeably when referring to the newer game.
During Sunday's Xbox Showcase, Turn 10 Studios dropped a trailer for the next iteration of Forza Motorsport, which it teased back in January. The series is almost 20 years old, and the studio faithfully released a new version every two years until Forza Motorsport 7 in 2017. So fans should be happy that the six-year wait for Forza Motorsport 8 is almost over.
Unfortunately, during a post-show interview, Forza's General Manager Dan Greenawalt revealed that this might be the last game in the Forza Motorsport series, not to be confused with the Forza Horizon line.
"Basically, we're not planning a distinct sequel at all," Greenawalt said.
Forza Motorsport 8 isn't even the name of the upcoming title. Turn 10 decided to leave the number off, making it share its title with the first game in the franchise, which launched on the original Xbox console in 2005. So like God of War (2005) and God of War (2018), there could be confusion when talking about Forza Motorsport (2005) and (2023).
To the uninitiated, Forza Motorsport is a racing sim much like Gran Turismo. Fans will argue about whether one is more sim-like than the other, but at the end of the day, Motorsport is a racing sim where players compete on chosen tracks, and Forza Horizon is an arcade racer with an open-world format.
While Greenawalt did not go into detail about why this might be the last game of the sim series, the switch to a service model could likely be the reason. Forza (2023) will focus hard on the online multiplayer element and seasonal content delivery – a format that has become popular with other games like Fortnite, Dota 2, and the two latest Diablo games.
The service model allows Turn 10 to continually churn out new features, tracks, cars, and events without repeatedly releasing a new game every two years. This setup has allowed Fortnite to run for six years, with seasons coming between 10 and 12 weeks apart. Blizzard has also promised quarterly content drops for Diablo 4 and already has the first two under development.
As long as Turn 10 sticks to a monetization scheme that only charges for cosmetics, fans shouldn't balk too much at the game. Making significant updates that improve performance for everyone should keep the game on an even keel, but players are likely to mutiny if it becomes too grindy or pay-to-win.
If you want to know more, check out this month's Forza Monthly (above). Forza Motorsport (2023) launches on October 10 for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass.
https://www.techspot.com/news/99055-forza-motorsport-8-could-last-entry-long-running.html
