Forza Motorsport finally becoming the game it should've been with drifting, Spectate Mode, new single-player content, and much more

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Turn 10 has a lot of plans for Forza Motorsport that should make a lot of fans very happy.

Screenshot of Forza Motorsport (2023).
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

What you need to know

  • Forza Motorsport (2023) is the long-awaited reboot for the sim-racing franchise, but it was missing a lot of features at launch.
  • Turn 10 Studios has been regularly updating the game since its release, but many community requested features still aren't here.
  • In a new community update, Turn 10 showed off a ton of upcoming changes and new content coming to Forza Motorsport in future updates, and it looks great.
  • Players can expect new ways to play and earn cars, an upgraded Spectate Mode and the oft-requested Drift Mode, new tracks, racing improvements, and more.

Forza Motorsport (2023) is in many ways one of the best simulation racing games you can play right now, but it's undeniable that the game was far from perfect at its release, Turn 10 Studios has been diligently updating the game since launch with new cars, tracks, quality-of-life features, and improvements, but there has still been a ton of missing content requested by the community.

Now, Turn 10 Studios has given us a long-awaited roadmap that many of these features are on the way, and it looks great. Forza Motorsport is set to gain new tracks and cars like usual (and will continue to be supported into 2025), but Turn 10 is also planning the return of FM7's Spectate Mode with a ton of upgrades and improvements, a new Drift Mode for the slide-happy drivers, more ways for players to earn cars and other rewards, and more.

It's a very promising roadmap for one of the best Xbox racing games, and the community response to it has been positive. Let's dive in.

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Turn Forza Motorsport into the game it deserves to be

New ways to race and new ways to earn. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

You can read the full Forza Motorsport (2023) community message on Forza.net if you want, but I've trimmed out the excess fat and organized all the important bits in the list below, so you can save yourself some time.

  • New Builders Cup content. Finally, solo racers are getting some love. Starting later this year, Turn 10 will begin adding select Featured Tours to the Builders Cup, giving players more opportunities to unlock those reward cars.
  • More ways to earn cars. In addition to the new Builders Cup content, Forza Motorsport players will be able to unlock current Featured Tour reward cars by completing a set number of Featured Multiplayer races beginning with the next update. In the same update, expected in mid-September, Turn 10 will add a new Challenge Hub where players can earn cars, Credits, cosmetic outfits, and more by completing specific objectives.
  • New tracks. The Forza Motorsport track list is expanding, with the classic Sunset Peninsula track from FM4 coming at some point in October with five available layouts. Bathurst is arriving in December and will be accompanied by its own Featured Tour. These and all existing tracks are also getting additional weather customization in Free Play and Private Multiplayer, with new weather conditions and the ability to choose different conditions for the beginning, middle, and end of races. Players will also be able to adjust the probability of weather sequences and changes.
  • Spectate Mode returns. After a lot of community requests, the live replay Spectate Mode from Forza Motorsport 7 is returning, letting you watch and enjoy community races. However, it'll be new and improved in Forza Motorsport, building on top of the saved replay feature in FM with new features and upgrades, including improved in-game telemetry and driver data. Spectate Mode is expected to arrive with the next update.
  • Drift Mode. Players have been wanting a Drift Mode in Forza Motorsport since the game's release, and it's actually coming later this year. Turn 10 is adding a new game mode alongside the arrival of Formula Drift cars in the Showroom, which will pit players against each other to test their drifting skills. Drift Mode will be available in Free Play and Private Multiplayer, and there will also be a selection of Drift Rivals.
  • Improved community features. Forza Motorsport is getting some much-needed updates to its social features, including overhauling the "Media" tab later this year into the Creative Hub popularized by Forza Horizon 5. Every player will have a unique Creative Hub to contain all of their creations, including liveries, vinyls, and more. Share Codes are also coming in a future update, with all existing and future player creations able to be shared with a unique in-game code. Finally, Featured Multiplayer will gain a Community Choice slot in October, dictated by votes hosted on the Forza Forums.
  • Improved racing features. Turn 10 is continuing to improve the amount of telemetry data it can collect from races in order to continually and rapidly iterated on the Forza Race Regulations. On top of that, Advanced Ghosting is a new feature arriving in a future update that aims to predict and prevent the most popular griefing incidents in Forza Motorsport, protecting clean drivers without forcing them to rely on pausing the game. Finally, the helpful Car Proximity Radar is getting an update in a future update that will add audio cues, improving accessibility.

The Builders Cup getting new permanent content is great to see. (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
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For me, who isn't normally big on online multiplayer in any game, a set plan to add more content to the Builders Cup over time is awesome to hear. I know a lot of people have been eager for a Drift Mode, too, and there are plenty of new community features in the works to make engaging and racing with other FM players more fun and fair. It's a great list of changes, even if we will have to wait for a lot of it.

Still, in the next update we can still expect new cars, the Challenge Hub, and the upgraded Spectate Mode. Turn 10 has also confirmed that Forza Motorsport (2023) will continue to be updated throughout 2025 with new features, cars, and tracks, although I don't think that surprises absolutely anyone. FM is probably here to stay for at least the next few years. There's a new Forza Motorsport (2023) Insiders Program, too, giving hardcore players the opportunity to test new features and updates before they're released to everyone.

If you've yet to play and are thinking these improvements mean it's a good time to start (or you're simply looking to return), Forza Motorsport (2023) is now available across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Xbox and PC Game Pass, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. If you want to get a feel for how the game has evolved over the last year, you can check out my original Forza Motorsport (2023) review.

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Zachary Boddy
Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.