Delisted Racing Game Reinstates Online Play

Forza Horizon 3 Online Services Remain Active Despite Delisting

Despite being removed from digital stores in 2020, Forza Horizon 3's online functionality continues to operate, much to the delight of players. Recent reports of inaccessible features prompted a response from Playground Games, with a community manager confirming server maintenance and reassuring players of their commitment to preserving online services. This is a welcome contrast to the fate of Forza Horizon and Forza Horizon 2, whose online services were shut down permanently after delisting.

The Forza franchise, launched in 2005 with Forza Motorsport, has seen significant growth, culminating in the recent success of Forza Horizon 5. Released in 2021, Forza Horizon 5 boasts over 40 million players, solidifying its place as one of Xbox's most successful titles. This success, however, didn't prevent the game from being controversially omitted from the Best Ongoing Game category at The Game Awards 2024, despite its extensive post-launch content and updates, such as the Hide and Seek multiplayer mode.

A recent Reddit thread, initiated by JoaoPaulo3k, highlighted concerns regarding the potential shutdown of Forza Horizon 3's online services. A player's inability to access certain features sparked worries amongst the community. However, Playground Games' senior community manager quickly addressed these concerns, announcing server restarts and earning praise for their swift and reassuring response. The delisting of Forza Horizon 3 in 2020 marked its "End of Life," meaning the game and its DLC are no longer available for purchase on the Microsoft Store.

Forza Horizon 3's Continued Online Support: A Positive Sign

The delisting of Forza Horizon 4 in December 2024, despite its impressive 24 million player count since its 2018 release, served as a stark reminder of the potential for online service termination. Playground Games' proactive response to the Forza Horizon 3 situation, coupled with the reported increase in player traffic following the server reboot, is therefore particularly encouraging.

Forza Horizon 5's remarkable success, surpassing 40 million players, further underscores the franchise's popularity. Anticipation for Forza Horizon 6 is already building, with many players hoping for a long-requested Japan setting. While Playground Games is also working on the highly anticipated Fable title, speculation abounds regarding their concurrent development of the next Forza Horizon installment.