"Restored Online Features for Delisted Open-World Racing Game"

Summary

• Forza Horizon 3's online services continue to thrive despite the game being delisted in 2020.
• A community manager confirmed the servers were rebooted after players reported certain unavailable features, reaffirming Playground Games' commitment to maintaining online services.
• Forza Horizon 5 recently achieved a new milestone, with over 40 million players since its launch in 2021.

Forza Horizon 3's online services have been revitalized recently, much to the delight of fans, despite the game being delisted. Playground Games' dedication to keeping these features alive has reassured the community. While the original Forza Horizon and Forza Horizon 2 saw their online services shut down shortly after being delisted, Forza Horizon 3's multiplayer has been given a new lease on life. A community manager from Playground Games stepped in to confirm that the online features are still operational, earning praise from the community.

The Forza franchise kicked off in 2005 with Forza Motorsport, followed by the first Forza Horizon in 2012. The latest installment, Forza Horizon 5, stirred some controversy when it was omitted from the Best Ongoing Game category at The Game Awards 2024. Despite this, Forza Horizon 5 has delivered more post-launch content than any other game in the series, including the innovative Hide and Seek multiplayer mode.

On Reddit, user JoaoPaulo3k shared a screenshot of a post questioning the future of Forza Horizon 3, as some players were unable to access certain features. This sparked concerns about the potential termination of online services. However, Playground's senior community manager quickly alleviated these fears by confirming that the servers had been rebooted. Forza Horizon 3 reached its "End of Life" status in 2020, meaning the base game and its DLC are no longer available for purchase on the Microsoft Store.

Forza Horizon 3's Online Services Endure Despite Game Being Delisted

The delisting of Forza Horizon 4 in December 2024 was a significant blow to fans, especially given its success with over 24 million players since its 2018 launch. However, the swift response from Playground Games to address online issues and concerns about Forza Horizon 3 has been a positive development. The community manager also noted an increase in traffic following the server reboot.

Three years after its launch, Forza Horizon 5 reached a new milestone in 2024, boasting over 40 million players. This open-world racer has become one of Xbox's most successful titles, and fans are eagerly anticipating the next installment, likely to be Forza Horizon 6. There's a strong desire among the player base for a Japan-themed setting, and it's speculated that Playground Games might be working on this while also finalizing the much-anticipated Fable title.