Delisted Open-World Racing Game Restores Online Features

Summary

• Despite being delisted in 2020, Forza Horizon 3's online services remain active.
• A community manager confirmed server restarts following player reports of unavailable features, demonstrating Playground Games' ongoing commitment to online functionality.
• Forza Horizon 5 recently surpassed 40 million players since its 2021 release.

Forza Horizon 3's online services have been unexpectedly revived, much to the delight of fans, even though the game was delisted. Following the delisting, concerns arose that online services, mirroring the fate of Forza Horizon and Forza Horizon 2, would be shut down. However, a Playground Games team member reassured players that online features remain operational.

The Forza franchise began in 2005 with Forza Motorsport, followed by the first Forza Horizon in 2012. The latest installment, Forza Horizon 5, generated some controversy after its omission from The Game Awards 2024's "Best Ongoing Game" category. This fifth entry boasts more post-launch content than any previous game in the series, including notable additions like the Hide and Seek multiplayer mode.

A Reddit post by JoaoPaulo3k highlighted a community concern regarding accessibility issues within Forza Horizon 3. A player's inability to access certain features sparked fears of an impending online service shutdown. Fortunately, Playground's senior community manager responded swiftly, calming concerns by confirming server restarts and earning praise from the community. Forza Horizon 3 reached its "End of Life" status in 2020, meaning it was removed from the Microsoft Store.

Forza Horizon 3's Online Services Persist Despite Delisting

The Forza community also faced disappointment last year with the December 2024 delisting of Forza Horizon 4, despite its considerable success with over 24 million players since its 2018 launch. Playground Games' quick response to the Forza Horizon 3 online issues is encouraging, with the community manager noting a positive increase in player traffic following the server restarts.

Three years after its release, Forza Horizon 5 achieved a significant milestone, exceeding 40 million players. This open-world racer has become one of Xbox's most successful games, generating anticipation for the likely upcoming Forza Horizon 6. With a long-standing player request for a Japan setting, it's possible Playground Games is concurrently planning the next installment while completing development on the anticipated Fable title.