The latest episode of the next-generation Xbox racing game Forza Motorsport is here, and Microsoft has announced the release date. The game will be released for Xbox Series and PC as usual, and in a big surprise, they’ve dropped the numbering: the new episode will simply be called Forza Motorsport, publisher Xbox Game Studios and developer Turn 10 Studios have announced.

Shot from the game and running on Xbox Series X, Microsoft has released a brand new trailer that debuted alongside the first gameplay of Forza Motorsport, showing how Maple Valley – a fan-favourite track since the very first Forza Motorsport game’s release on Xbox X in 2005 (the very first on Xbox) – is brought to life once again with stunning detail and beauty.

In addition to Maple Valley, the trailer also features fan-favourite and now returning tracks such as Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and Laguna Seca Raceway. But there are also new venues, with the debut of the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in South Africa and the brand new Circuit Hakone in Japan, an original high-speed Grand Prix circuit built to showcase the technically advanced, state-of-the-art gameplay of the new Forza Motorsport.

More agile and dynamic than ever before

Forza Motorsport is built from the ground up to showcase the capabilities harnessed by the Xbox Series X|S consoles. The precision of the reworked physics, the beauty of the cars and tracks, the new dynamic times of day, advanced car damage and real-time beam tracking on the track make for a generational leap in immersion. The all-new Forza Motorsport is the most technologically advanced racing game ever made.

A key element of Forza Motorsport is a fully dynamic time of day system that brings tracks to life in stunning detail and will be available on every track, just like the weather. Changes in the time of day alter the ambient temperature, which in turn affects the temperature of the track surface. These changes in track temperature will affect your car’s grip on the tarmac, just like rubber and weather. These new simulation details add depth, realism and dynamics to the racing experience.

New driving experience

The developers have reportedly completely overhauled the core driving experience to harness the power of the Xbox Series consoles. This includes a 48-fold improvement in the fidelity of the physics simulation. Feedback suggests they’re introducing new features such as tyre and fuel management, multiple tyre compounds and a new in-depth car build that makes the most basic use of different car parts and their capabilities. All of this will reportedly come to life in the pits alongside the track, where detailed materials and shaders coupled with beam tracking will bring the various cars to life, inside and out, with reportedly “incredible detail”. The ray-tracing will be especially prevalent in the engine compartments, thanks to “complex reflections”.

Much more detailed damage

In Forza Motorsport, damage to cars can be reproduced right down to individual scratches on the bodywork. You’ll find all-new simulation detail in the orientation of damage, the way paint peels off exposed and protruding edges, wheel scuffs and dirt build-up. Damage to cars is a reality of racing, and in the new Forza Motorsport, it’s captured in a completely authentic way.