We caught a glimpse of Xbox’s upcoming Forza Motorsport title at the recently concluded Developer Direct showcase. However, the one detail missing from the information we got was a release date, as the showcase only mentioned a 2023 release without a launch window. Now, a popular industry insider has revealed that it has been reportedly delayed to the second half of 2023.
According to GamesBeat reporter Jeff Grubb on the Games Mess Decides podcast (Via r/GamingLeaksAndRumors), Forza Motorsport will likely release in the second half of 2023. He also pointed out that The Game Awards host, Geoff Keighley, said that the game will release before the end of June. However, Grubb feels pretty confident about the information his sources provided.
Earlier, Forza Motorsport was pegged to release in Spring 2023 as revealed during the Xbox-Bethesda showcase in June 2022. Given Grubb's successful track record with inside information, it's likely the delay is real.
The Developer Direct gave us more insight into the game, where we found out that there will be over 500 cars you can collect. There will also be around 800 upgrades that you will be able to purchase for your cars, with a single-player career mode and an online racing mode as well. The developer also claimed that Forza Motorsport’s visual, audio, and gameplay upgrades are greater than the previous three titles combined.
The game’s visuals have been hyped up since before we got this deep dive. It will have a 4K 60fps mode, which will likely only work on the Xbox Series X. One of its most exciting aspects is real-time ray tracing, which is a game-changer when it comes to global illumination. The dirt build-up will also be unique to each car along with the damage and paint chipping, so you can see your car changes as you get stuck into each race. As for the audio, devs called it the best-sounding Forza Motorsport yet, which will make the gameplay even more immersive.