Ahead of Series 6 beginning later this week, a new update for Forza Horizon 5 has just dropped.
Features-wise, this update brings a new progression to the traditional multiplayer modes under the Horizon Open banner- multiplayer races, drifts, and the battle royale mode. Players can now gain levels (separate from the main levelling progression) and can gain badges to display beside your gamertag. Think of it as adding an emoji symbol to your name.
The Horizon Open levels are a sign of how much time you invested in the modes, rather than a show of skill level.
In addition, Custom Racing is added to Horizon Open. This allows you to queue for specific race disciplines (road racing, dirt racing, cross-country, street racing) and PI levels (B class and above) instead of just following what’s currently on rotation.
Not only that, but the update also changes how dirty air’s effect on aerodynamics work. Forza simulates this effect, where two cars follow each other but the car behind will have less downforce, and thus less grip, making overtakes harder, especially in fast cars with high downforce. The update tweaks this to reduce the total downforce lost, which should improve the racing.
The update also improves the visuals to stop you from seeing unloaded world chunks (where there’s a big ol’ square of land not loading in the distance) on Xbox Series X|S and PC versions of the game.
There are a few other tweaks and fixes, the full patch notes can be found here.
Series 6 of Forza Horizon 5 will be adding some new story content in the form of Drift Club Mexico Horizon Story, as well as four new cars earned from the Festival Playlist of weeklies, and four more cars for folks that purchased the Car Pass.