Forza (pronounced FORT-sə; Italian for "force" and "strength") is a racing video game series available on Xbox consoles and Microsoft Windows, published by Xbox Game Studios.
The series includes two main games. The original Forza Motorsport series, created by American developer Turn 10 Studios, focuses on realistic racing on real and fictional tracks. It aims to show how real cars, including regular, modified, and race cars, perform and handle. The Forza Horizon series, developed by British studio Playground Games, offers a more fun and fast-paced style of racing while still using a simplified version of Motorsport’s realistic physics. Horizon games are set in open worlds inspired by real places and include a music festival called the "Horizon Festival," where players can explore and take part in races.
In addition to Motorsport and Horizon, Forza has had two mobile and computer games that are no longer available. Forza Street (2019–2022) was a drag racing game set in Miami, and Forza Customs (2023–2025) was a tile-matching game about customizing cars. Both games were first released separately before becoming part of the Forza brand.
As of December 2016, the Forza franchise had sold 16 million copies and received high praise from critics.
History
Turn 10 Studios was created in 2001 by Microsoft, as part of its Microsoft Game Studios division, to make a series of racing games called Forza. These games were designed to compete with Gran Turismo, a popular racing game for PlayStation. When the studio was first formed, most of its employees had experience in publishing games, such as Project Gotham Racing and Golf 4.0, but had not worked on game development before. The first Forza Motorsport game was created to show the capabilities of Microsoft’s original Xbox console, including its online multiplayer network called Xbox Live. From the beginning, Turn 10 focused on making the Forza series appealing to a wide audience, not just racing fans, while also highlighting car culture. The development of the series also involved extensive research on how race cars handle, sometimes working with professional racing teams like those from Formula One and NASCAR.
Every Forza game includes an artificial neural network used by its AI racers, called Drivatars. This name combines the words "driver" and "avatar." Drivatars were created by Microsoft Research Cambridge to learn from players’ driving styles. Early versions of Drivatars used a type of learning system called a Bayesian neural network, which analyzed data from previous races to predict the best actions, such as how to turn a car or control the accelerator. At first, players could only share Drivatars by copying them onto Xbox Memory Units for other consoles. Starting with Forza Motorsport 5, Drivatars use a different learning method called reinforcement learning. This system collects data from all players connected to the Xbox Network and uses it to improve Drivatar behavior. The data is stored in the cloud, and updates are sent to other consoles. Older data is given less importance over time. Some players worried that the system might be abused to make AI racers unfairly favor them, but Turn 10 explained that only the cars’ performance is slightly adjusted based on their position relative to the player. The studio also added controls to ensure Drivatars behave as intended.
At first, Turn 10 used commercial software like 3D Studio Max to design car and track models. Now, the studio uses its own 3D modeling software called Fuel, which allows multiple artists to work on the same project at the same time. Because video games have become more complex, it took six months for four people to design a single car model for the Xbox One version of Forza. To save time, Turn 10 now relies on car manufacturers to provide CAD files, scan real cars, or send photographers to take detailed pictures of new vehicles.
Playground Games was started in 2009 in Leamington Spa, England, by Gavin Raeburn, Trevor Williams, and Ralph Fulton, who all worked at Codemasters before. Raeburn was known for creating successful games like the Dirt and TOCA series but left Codemasters after being inspired by the open-world style of Test Drive Unlimited. Other members of Playground Games have worked at companies like Bizarre Creations, Black Rock Studio, and Sony Liverpool, all of which make racing games. Around the same time, Turn 10 Studios was looking for a partner to expand the Forza franchise. At E3 2010, Raeburn and Williams proposed an open-world version of Forza Motorsport to Turn 10 in exchange for support. Turn 10 agreed, and Playground Games developed what became Forza Horizon, working closely with Turn 10. Playground Games had a strong relationship with Microsoft Studios but was officially acquired by Microsoft in June 2018 during a conference at E3.
Until 2019, Forza games were released every other year: Motorsport games in odd-numbered years and Horizon games in even-numbered years. This pattern changed because no new Motorsport game was released in 2019. In 2025, Forza Horizon 5 was announced for release on Sony’s PlayStation 5 console in the first or second quarter of 2025 as part of Microsoft Gaming’s plan to make its games available on multiple platforms. This was the first time the Forza series was released on a non-Xbox console. In July 2025, as part of Microsoft Gaming’s reorganization, Turn 10 Studios experienced significant layoffs, losing nearly half of its employees. Reports suggested that the studio would be restructured to focus on supporting Forza Horizon and the ForzaTech engine, effectively ending the Forza Motorsport series, according to former content coordinator Fred Russell.
ForzaTech is the game engine developed by Turn 10 Studios. It is the main engine used for the Forza series. Microsoft trademarked ForzaTech in 2015, and it has been used to create current Forza games as well as the Fable reboot.
Titles
Forza Motorsport was released on May 3, 2005, and is the first game in the Forza Motorsport series. It is the only game in the series released for the original Xbox console. The game includes 231 cars and tracks from 15 real and fictional locations. It introduced features used in later games, such as showing how car damage affects performance, a tool to design car paint and decals, the ability to customize and upgrade cars using in-game money, and driving aids that help players but reduce bonus rewards. The game supported online multiplayer through Xbox Live, a feature included in all later games. The Honda NSX and a modified Nissan 350Z are the cover vehicles. The game can be played on the Xbox 360 through backward compatibility.
Forza Motorsport 2, the sequel to Forza Motorsport and the first game in the series for the Xbox 360, was released on May 29, 2007. It includes 349 cars and 23 tracks from 12 locations. This game introduced support for force feedback, a feature that allows the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel to respond to in-game actions. Car customization options expanded, with more parts and upgrades available, up to 4,100 vinyls that can be applied to cars, and the ability to sell cars online for in-game money through an auction system. The game now groups cars into classes based on performance scores, which change when cars are modified. Before its release, Microsoft created a four-part TV show called Forza Motorsport Showdown on the Speed channel. The show was produced by Bud Brutsman and hosted by Lee Reherman. A modified Nissan 350Z is the cover vehicle.
Forza Motorsport 3, released on October 27, 2009, includes over 400 cars from 50 manufacturers and about 100 track variations. Sport utility vehicles and stock cars are included for the first time in the game. New driving aids, such as the rewind feature (which lets players undo mistakes) and auto-braking (which prevents cars from skidding), were added to help less-experienced players. The career mode includes 250 events, with two new modes: drag racing and drifting. This game introduced a cockpit camera and the ability to record, edit, and share gameplay clips. The Audi R8 is the cover vehicle.
Forza Motorsport 4, released on October 11, 2011, partnered with BBC's Top Gear to include Jeremy Clarkson’s commentary in the Autovista mode, which lets players explore cars in detail. It was the first game in the series to use the Kinect sensor, which allows players to move their heads to control the camera. This was the last Forza Motorsport game released for the Xbox 360. The 2009 Ferrari 458 is the cover vehicle.
Forza Motorsport 5, the fifth game in the Motorsport series and sixth overall, was released as an Xbox One launch title on November 22, 2013. It expanded the Top Gear partnership by adding Richard Hammond and James May’s commentary alongside Clarkson. The Autovista mode was renamed Forzavista, and the game introduced open-wheel cars and cloud computing, which uses data from players to improve AI behavior and share user-created paint jobs. The 2013 McLaren P1 is the cover vehicle.
Forza Motorsport 6, released for Xbox One on September 15, 2015, added new gameplay elements like racing in the rain or at night, an online ranking system called Leagues, and game-modifying cards. The game allows up to 24 racers in a race and includes 460 cars and 26 locations. Players can adjust the aggression of AI drivers. A free-to-play version called Forza Motorsport 6: Apex was released in 2016. The 2017 Ford GT supercar is the cover vehicle. The game was no longer available for purchase in 2019 due to expired licenses.
Forza Motorsport 7 was developed for Windows 10 and Xbox One and released on October 3, 2017. It includes many tracks, including the return of Maple Valley Raceway, a fictional track last seen in Forza Motorsport 4. The game has the largest number of playable cars in the series, with 830 total (700 in the base game and 130 added later). The 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS is the cover vehicle.
The eighth Forza Motorsport game is a reboot of the Motorsport sub-series. It was announced on July 23, 2020, and released on October 10, 2023. The 2023 Cadillac V-Series.R and the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray are the cover vehicles.
Forza Horizon was developed for the Xbox 360 and is the first open-world game in the series. It is set in a fictional festival called the Horizon Festival in Colorado. The game includes features from previous Forza Motorsport titles, such as a wide variety of cars, realistic physics, and high-definition graphics. Players earn wristbands by driving fast, winning races, or completing challenges. The game uses physics from Forza Motorsport 4, optimized for over 65 types of terrain. Players can modify cars and earn vehicles by racing, finding hidden cars, or winning races. The 2013 Dodge SRT Viper GTS is the cover car. The game is backward-compatible with the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
Forza Horizon 2 was developed for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It is set in Southern France and Northern Italy, with a map three times larger than its predecessor. The Xbox 360 version was the last Forza game for that console. The Xbox One version added dynamic weather and lighting systems, as well as tuning options. Both versions include day-and-night cycles, cross-country races with up to 12 players, and "Bucket Lists" with location-specific challenges. Single-player and multiplayer modes are connected, allowing players to join each other’s sessions. The 2013 Dodge SRT Viper GTS is the cover car.
Reception
The Forza series is one of the most well-known racing game franchises. By August 2014, the games had sold over 10 million copies. By April 2021, sales reached 16 million copies, making it the sixth most successful racing game series. The franchise is also one of the highest-earning video game series, with over US$1 billion in retail sales by December 2016. Forza Motorsport 3 sold 3 million copies by February 2010. Forza Motorsport 5 was purchased by more than one-third of all Xbox One owners in February 2014, which is estimated to be about 1.3 million copies. By December 2016, around 2.5 million copies of Forza Horizon 3 had been sold. By December 2016, the Forza community on Xbox One and Windows 10 had registered over 14 million unique players.
The first Forza Motorsport game was highly praised for its realistic driving mechanics and a paint job editor, both of which have been included in every later version of the game. It also featured Xbox Live integration. Additional features in Forza Motorsport 3, such as the rewind ability, were also praised. Reviewers liked the Autovista mode in Forza Motorsport 4. Overall, the franchise has received mostly positive reviews. Every main title in the Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon series has an average score of at least 80 out of 100 on Metacritic. The only exception is Forza Motorsport 5, which initially faced criticism for having fewer cars and tracks than earlier games and for including microtransactions, where players could buy in-game items with real money. Turn 10 Studios later improved the game by increasing rewards after races and lowering car prices.
The Forza Horizon series was praised for showing the potential of the new series. However, some critics noted that the AI for Drivatars and limited multiplayer options were weaknesses. By August 2019, Forza Horizon 4 had reached 12 million players. The Horizon series has been more successful than the Motorsport series, even though the Motorsport games have improved technically. This is because the Horizon series offers gameplay that players prefer more.
The Forza series is known for using one of the longest-used examples of machine learning in video games for its AI. Since Forza Horizon 3, the Horizon series has regularly won the Best Sports/Racing Game award at The Game Awards.