Microsoft Studios will soon give motor junkies their first look at Forza Motorsport 8, the franchise’s next major title, but before that time let’s look at every possible leak that there’s been so far.
The video game series always makes its mark on Xbox events, that’s for sure, with its loud engine and trailers jam-packed with some of the most realistic driving gameplay the world has ever seen. Well, that’s what we’ve got used to on the Xbox One, so one can only imagine the level Forza might reach with the next-generation console, the Xbox Series X.
Pretty much all Xbox players will know by now that their next console is coming out in the holiday season of 2020, and that Forza will no doubt be one of its first titles, but what do we know about? There is a lot to unpack, but let’s jump right into it and run through each of the leaks that have been reported for the game, at the time of writing.
Forza Motorsport 8 leaks: Gameplay, new features, bonus content, more
Brand new engine
In what’s been one of the most highly publicized leaks so far, XboxMag.net reported (in French) that the next Forza title will be moving to a brand new Unreal Engine 4 – which would shake the game series up completely. Shinobi602, the source of the apparent leak, claims to be an insider.
An article reported on the website back in April states that the new engine will allow for better off-road racing, which isn’t really what you might associate with the Motorsport titles.
If anything, the open world gameplay of Horizon might benefit more from the switch, but that’s even further into the future so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Rally tracks and bigger races
The same publication claims that we could see race capacity expanded to 54 vehicles at a time, which would be right up there with the biggest races the game has ever hosted. It also states that the Multiplayer mode would be moved more in line with that offered by Grand Turismo, for the “reboot” of the series.
That might sound a little chaotic, but if you consider the option of NASCAR racing in-game, it definitely could give the next installment an edge over previous titles.
Another interesting detail from this report is the claim that more rally races will be added, too, with SUVs and trucks playing a pivotal part. So, watch this space, as some players have been calling for this feature for a very long time.
Forza 8 screenshots and graphics
This one isn’t exactly a leak, but more of a sneak peek from developers Turn 10 Studios during a video for GDC Virtual Talk.
Here, Matt Collins walks viewers through the process that they’re going through from having gameplay based as closely as possible to real photos and footage. In a comparison between real life and what they’re creating for their next title, Collins – at around the 18 minute mark below – shows several comparisons in all sorts of different terrain for scene construction.
(Timestamp in the video below at 18:04)
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Screenshots include tracks in the dessert, urban racetracks, and in open spaces.
Gameplay will be all about simulation
With the success of many different online racing events to replace real races due to the current global situation, it should come as no surprise to hear that FM8 will be moving even further towards a car simulation experience.
As seen in a Forza Monthly broadcast last December, Chris Esaki, creative director at Microsoft, there was a studio-wide play test of new gameplay features conducted. Here, stripped back to its most basic form, the chief hinted at a number of new features in the works – or under the hood, as he finely put it. These can be found below:
Confirmed features for Forza 8
- New tire pressure model
- New heat interaction with tire pressure
- Dynamic track temperatures
- Rubber in on tracks
- New atmosphere pressure system, affecting air density, dynamics, and power
- New suspension system with new modeling
(Timestamp in the video below at 54:39)
Aside from this list, he says that the team have experienced probably another 15 or so features for Forza 8, although it didn’t go further in terms of specifics. All of these that have been teased so far, however, will make a huge difference to the adjustments we make to our vehicles in the next game.
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The prospect of heat impacting tire pressure is something that the series has never seen before, too, so it will be interesting to see how that one plays out. Some tracks, when used over and over, will form layers of rubber on it so to create more grip for cars as well – which is very interesting insight.
Maple Valley Raceway
Throughout these play tests, it’s been noticed that Maple Valley has been used to experiment with new gameplay, seemingly confirming its inclusion in Forza 8.
The raceway has been included in previous games, of course, including Forza Motorsport 1, FM2, FM3, FM4, and FM7. We haven’t seen it included in a new game, however, since October 2017. That does appear to be something that will change next time around, though.
Forza Motorsport 8 release date
The release date for Forza Motorsport 8 hasn’t yet been revealed, and that name isn’t even confirmed yet. Usually, we see a reveal of the title around June time, followed up by a release date sometime in Fall or the Holiday season, with the latter the more likely of the two, to correspond with the release of the Xbox Series X.
Stick with Dexerto for even more FM8 news, leaks, and guides once the game has been made available to play. As soon as more information is made available, we’ll be the first to let you know, and you can read more here.