Remember to keep it around over 500 cars and 20 tracks, as that’s how many cars and tracks the game will launch with. I posted something similar in GT Planet, so here’s my take on it:
Car List:
- The car list will be somewhere in the high 500’s, like around 550 to 570 cars.
- Motorsport disciplines will range from IMSA to FIA WEC, Blancpain, Can-Am, Formula Drift, historic Grand Prix, vintage prototypes and even TCR. There is also the possibility for Super GT/JGTC and DTM to return after a long absence since Motorsport 4.
- There will still be some SUV’s and pick-up trucks, despite them not being shown in any game footage so far as of writing, but the more hardcore off-road production cars will not be present at launch. Kind of like Motorsport 3 where SUV’s and pick-up trucks made their debut, but they were actually the more sporty ones as opposed to off-roaders.
- There will likely be no rally cars, trophy trucks, rally raid cars and buggies at launch, as it is likely that there won’t be any form of rally and/or off-road racing from the start of the game’s lifespan.
- NASCAR and IndyCar won’t be featured at launch, likely because of their involvement with the Ponzi scheme that is Motorsport Games.
- It is currently unknown if Hot Wheels concept vehicles will make it, but good candidates would be the Hot Wheels Ford Mustang, as it is a popular drift car, and the Bad to the Blade will make for an exciting one-make series as it is an open-wheeler with a lot of downforce.
- It is also unknown whether or not V8 Supercars will return.
- Formula E might still make it in the game, but they’ll likely skip the second-generation cars.
- Certain Stellantis brands such as Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat and Lancia may possibly return after having their licensing issues sorted out. It also seems likely that there will be no “missing manufacturer syndrome” this time around.
- There won’t be any Forza Editions in the game.
- It’s possible that most oddball cars from Motorsport 7 may not make it to the game at launch.
- It is unknown, but highly unlikely that some Hoonigan vehicles may return at launch.
- As with tradition in the Forza series since Motorsport 5, it is likely that the cover car will be a previously unseen vehicle that is yet to be unveiled, or has yet to reach production. - UPDATE: The Cadillac V-Series.R and Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray are the cover cars. Fun fact: this would be the first time a race car is actually a cover car in a Forza title.
- The six cars that were previously shown, but held back for release (Audi R8 LMS, Cadillac DPi-V.R, Ginetta G60 LT-P1, Oreca 07, Porsche 935 and Porsche 956) will likely be part of a day one update or DLC.
Tracks:
- The wording isn’t exactly clear whether it’s exactly 20 environments or more than 20 environments.
- Despite some doubts, tracks like the Nürburgring (especially the Nordschleife) and Le Mans will actually be there at launch.
- As for city tracks, I believe Turn Ten would like to revisit the series’ roots and add back the New York and Tokyo circuits from the original Motorsport, this time reimagined. It would make sense, given that Microsoft has an experience center in Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, NYC (believe me, I saw a McLaren Senna being used as a sim rig for Forza Horizon 5 while I was there), and that the Xbox brand has been picking up in popularity in Japan in recent years.
- Given its popularity within the community, it is possible that Fujimi Kaido may actually return.
- There won’t be any rally/rallycross tracks at launch. This may also explain why some off-roaders, rally cars, trophy trucks and buggies aren’t in the game from day one. It also wouldn’t make sense to have them just race on tarmac roads when there isn’t any off-road racing.
- It is already confirmed that previously unseen historic track layouts will come to the game.
- The Top Gear Test Track will not be included, as it is likely that Forza’s partnership with Top Gear has ended shortly after Horizon 4, not to mention, the state of modern Top Gear (post-The Grand Tour) hasn’t been any good so far.
- All tracks will have 24-hour dynamic time of day and complete dynamic weather, as it was confirmed by Chris Esaki himself.