New Forza Motorsport: Everything You Need to Know

With the explosion of sim racing during the pandemic lockdowns still carrying real momentum today, it seems the more arcadey turn that the Motorsport series took after Forza Motorsport 5 is being re-evaluated. All of the messaging surrounding this reboot is that of a focused, unapologetic driving simulator. Turn 10 has proudly displayed its new physics, driver rating system, and content; this is what to expect from the new Forza Motorsport.

Physics. It’s one of those fundamental aspects of a driving simulator that can rally players, or kill it upon arrival. You could argue all of the simulators that launched in the years following the last Motorsport were defined by how they handled physics. There’s a reason why Assetto Corsa, a game from 2014, still has a chokehold on the sim racing community, and why Project Cars 2 died within three years of its 2017 release date. Graphics are temporary, but physics are permanent.

With that said, Forza Motorsport’s new model looks promising so far. While Forza has always had decent physics and tire modeling, it tended to fall short for players who used a force feedback wheel rather than a controller. The new Forza ups the ante considerably: where FM7 used a single point of contact running at 60-Hz frequency, Motorsport runs eight points of contact polling at 360 Hz. 

Still, more data isn't enough to guarantee a more natural experience behind the wheel. It's what developers do with that data that ultimately makes the difference. Assetto Corsa and Project Cars 2 illustrated how physics engine advancement doesn't necessarily translate to accuracy. Assetto Corsa’s tire model is rudimentary by the standards of today, while Project Cars 2 implemented a more complex system that simulated the structure of an entire tire carcass. That model was so good that iRacing hired some folks who fell out of the developer team for PC2, yet the game they built barely maintains an active player base today.

On paper, Turn 10's new approach is on par with today’s popular PC simulators, but not pushing boundaries. Where a carcass model like iRacing's and Automobilista 2's is incredibly time, labor, and computing resource-intensive to make right, a simpler point-based model can function almost as well with far less development time. For example, ACC runs a five-point tire model at 400 Hz. The simpler approach also leaves more time for fine-tuning how each car feels to drive rather than spiraling down a physics rabbit hole. Eight points of contact at 360 Hz is more than enough data to build a decent simulation upon and gives Forza Motorsport a fighting chance at being a better drive than the last few. It'll ultimately come down to how Turn 10 can maintain a quality experience on both pad and wheel.

Single-player campaigns in games like Forza Motorsport and Gran Turismo are a key point of interest for many players, and it's safe to say that some innovation in the field would come as a breath of fresh air. Turn 10 is angling to achieve that with a new core mode in the upcoming Motorsport called Builder's Cup. While tuning and upgrading your garage has always been a staple of the series, in the Builder's Cup, it's key to participation.

Events in the Builder's Cup are broken up into themed championships, where players participate in practice sessions before each event to gain XP through track learning. That XP offers access to categories of upgrades, purchased with Car Points that are gained through racing. This loop theoretically should encourage players to stick with one car in their garage and develop it. In fact, each round in a particular Builder's Cup championship may necessitate improving a car's Performance Index rating past a certain threshold, so your car will get faster as you progress through a series.

Once you've maxed a vehicle's respective XP gauge (which should take about three hours per Creative Director Chris Esaki) you even get a discount on further mods, just like classic Forza used to offer. Here's hoping that the in-game economy is conducive to experimenting with builds (unlike Gran Turismo 7's) but not so generous (unlike Forza Horizon 5's) that progression and achievement feel totally meaningless.

Those who have raced in iRacing, ACC, and Gran Turismo 7 are familiar with safety rating systems, as they're installed into simulators where multiplayer competition features heavily in the experience. The new Forza Motorsport will follow those titles with a scheme of its own.

In short, each driver will be scored based on a variety of factors that include race results, collisions with other players, track limits violations, and relative pace to other players to determine your competitive split. Two ratings will be assigned to players: a safety ranking from F to A, with S reserved for the cleanest drivers, and a Skill Rating ranging from 1000 to 5000. 

A new multiplayer system will take advantage of the safety criteria to hopefully enhance the competitive experience. The premier competitive lobbies will be listed under Featured Multiplayer, which contains a Spec class of fixed cars and an Open class that is only restricted by car class. Instead of the random lobbies of before, these will be scheduled races that run at a predetermined time, more similar to GT7's Sport Mode, or the esports-oriented multiplayer lobbies in other simulators.

There will still be more casual lobbies available, as well as private lobbies that will allow you and your friends to mess around with absurdly modified cars, or just enjoy some fun, small-grid league racing.

Finally, the other cornerstone of a good driving game: content. Forza Motorsport is adding a good crop of cars and tracks. While some of the more eagle-eyed Forza veterans will notice a lot of recycled cars from Forza Horizon 5 and Forza Motorsport 7, there are indeed some truly new cars in the mix that are being added to the game, along with an equal proportion of cars that are a few years old but have still never been seen before on the Motorsport side of the brand.

Here's the list so far at the time of writing. More are being revealed all the time, and we will update this list accordingly. Cars that are new to Motorsport have been bolded:

As far as tracks, the list is decently sized but still growing. There are a couple new highlights like the addition of Kyalami Circuit—a former Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit in South Africa—and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Mugello, a beloved mainstay of the series, will also return. There are also several new original courses, in the form of the Eaglerock Speedway oval track, Hakone Circuit, and the Watkins Glen-esque Grand Oak Speedway. Maple Valley, mercifully, hasn't gone anywhere. The Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit will feature at launch, but the Nordschleife will not be added until Spring 2024. If it's any consolation, Motorsport General Manager Dan Greenawalt reaffirmed to us that it will be the most accurate Nordschleife ever in a Forza product. Also, it won't cost money to download.

All of the circuits have had their track limits redrawn and tire barriers removed, thanks to the new safety rating system. Based on videos, it seems that most legacy tracks have gotten a comprehensive artwork facelift as well, benefitting from some extra detail work on curbing to take advantage of the new tire model.

On paper, Forza Motorsport is looking to have all the components necessary to mark a true return to form for the franchise. But there are no guarantees yet, especially for fans who have been repeatedly disappointed by recycled, old content that goes back to Forza Motorsport 4, a lack of clear direction for the last several installments, and some generally puzzling creative decisions, like FM7's infamous homologation system.

This game is being held up as a reset for the franchise; a reset that it truly needs to land back on sim racers' radars. While the content seems good, we’ll just have to wait and see how the new Forza Motorsport plays when we get hands-on time soon.

Want to talk games? Hit my line at chris.rosales@thedrive.com