Delisted Open-World Racing Game Restores Online Features

Summary

• Despite being delisted in 2020, Forza Horizon 3's online services remain active.
• A community manager confirmed server restarts following player reports of unavailable features, demonstrating Playground Games' commitment to online service maintenance.
• Forza Horizon 5 recently surpassed 40 million players since its 2021 launch.

Forza Horizon 3's online services have been unexpectedly revived, pleasing fans after the game's 2020 delisting. Following the permanent shutdown of online services for the original Forza Horizon and Forza Horizon 2 after their delistings, the community feared a similar fate for Forza Horizon 3. However, a Playground Games team member recently reassured players that online features are functioning.

The Forza franchise began in 2005 with Forza Motorsport, followed by the first Forza Horizon in 2012. The latest entry, Forza Horizon 5, sparked controversy after its omission from The Game Awards 2024's "Best Ongoing Game" category. Forza Horizon 5 boasts more post-launch content than any previous game in the series, including notable additions like the Hide and Seek multiplayer mode.

A Reddit post by JoaoPaulo3k, showcasing a thread questioning the future of Forza Horizon 3 due to inaccessible features, sparked community concern. Players worried about an impending shutdown of online services. Fortunately, Playground's senior community manager, praised by the community, responded swiftly, confirming server restarts and alleviating fears. Forza Horizon 3 reached its "End of Life" status in 2020, meaning the base game and DLC became unavailable for purchase on the Microsoft Store.

Forza Horizon 3's Online Services Persist Despite Delisting

The delisting of Forza Horizon 4 in December 2024, despite its success with over 24 million players since its 2018 launch, was another setback for fans last year. Playground's prompt response to Forza Horizon 3's online issues is encouraging, with the community manager also noting increased traffic following the server restarts.

Three years after its release, Forza Horizon 5 achieved a significant milestone in 2024, exceeding 40 million players since its 2021 launch. It's become one of Xbox's most successful games, generating anticipation for the likely upcoming Forza Horizon 6. With a long-standing player request for a Japan setting, Playground may be secretly developing the sequel alongside the anticipated Fable title.