(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)
What you need to know
- Donut Media, the popular automotive brand, is returning to Forza Horizon 5 in the latest Festival Playlist Series.
- Series 22 “Upgrade Heroes” brings a new dual-path Horizon Story, more rims, and lots of additional cars.
- Four Donut Media cars, five Festival Playlist rewards cars, and a new four-car DLC pack are all coming in this update.
- The Horizon Test Track is also returning without car restrictions, making it easy to modify and test your vehicles.
Another Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist is winding to a close, so it’s time to look forward to what comes next. According to Playground Games, Forza Horizon 5’s Series 22 update sees the return of popular automotive entertainment brand Donut Media to the game (last seen in Series 14) with a focus around vehicle upgrading and a ton of new cars to collect.
Forza Horizon 5 can explore the Upgrade Heroes Festival Playlist with new and returning features, more content, and up to 13 new cars added to the expansive, constantly growing Forza Horizon 5 car list. While not the largest update we’ve seen for the game, there’s enough here that should appease long-term FH5 players.
Here’s quick rundown of all the new features in Forza Horizon 5 Series 22 “Upgrade Heroes.”
- New “Hi-Lo” Horizon Story. Donut Media gets a new Horizon Story in the Upgrade Heroes update, with 12 chapters split into two paths. Players will be able to explore the capabilities of two heavily modified Nissan 350Zs, one with high-end parts and the other with budget parts. Up to four new cars are available as rewards during the story, as well as 20 new Accolades.
- Return of the Horizon Test Track. The Test Track from the first Donut Media appearance is back in Forza Horizon 5, except this time free from all car restrictions and easily accessible from the Horizon Mexico Festival Outpost. Players can modify their vehicles in real time and push the limits on the test track, either by themselves or with up to 12 players in a Convoy. There are 15 new Accolades and 5 new Badges associated with the Horizon Test Track.
- New rim options. Playground Games is adding another 27 brand-new rims to the massive Forza Horizon 5 catalog, which gives players even more ways to customize their vehicles and achieve the exact look they want. The rims come from Modulare, Fikse, and Rotiform.
- New collectibles, Car Horns, and more. As always, the latest Festival Playlist includes other, smaller goodies like a new smashable piñata collectible, three secret Donut Media merch stalls, and a ton of themed Car Horns.
- Plenty of bug fixes. Playground Games is constantly updating the game with new features, but the bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements are just as important. Fortunately, there are quite a few contained in Series 22 “Upgrade Heroes.” One of the most interesting is a new and improved engine sound for the Nissan 350Z.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Forza Horizon 5 update without new cars. This time around, Playground Games is adding a staggering 13 cars, spread across three forms of access. Here are all of the new cars heading to Forza Horizon 5 with the Series 22 “Upgrade Heroes” update.
- Festival Playlist reward cars. Here are the five reward cars available through the Forza Horizon 5 Series 22 “Upgrade Heroes” Festival Playlist.
- 1991 GMC Syclone
- 1992 GMC Typhoon
- 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series
- 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
- 2023 Formula Drift Nissan Z #64 Forsberg Racing
- Donut Media “Hi-Lo” cars. The Hi-Lo Horizon Story features four reward cars that can be earned by playing through every chapter.
- 1994 Ford Supervan 3 “Donut Media Edition”
- 1996 Formula Drift Nissan 240SX #51 Donut Media
- 2003 Nissan Fairlady Z (350Z) “Donut Media Hi Car”
- 2003 Nissan Fairlady Z (350Z) “Donut Media Lo Car”
- Forza Horizon 5 Racing Car Pack. A new, optional DLC car pack is coming to Forza Horizon 5 with four new-to-Forza vehicles, including highly requested cars like the 2023 Lotus Emira. The Racing Car Pack will be available from the Microsoft Store and Steam for $4.99, and is not included in any existing Forza Horizon 5 DLC or bundle.
- 2020 Saleen Sportruck XR Black Label
- 2021 Forsberg Racing Nissan “Altimaniac”
- 2022 Pagani Huayra R
- 2023 Lotus Emira
Forza Horizon 5 Series 22 “Upgrade Heroes” officially kicks off on Thursday, June 22, 2023, but the accompanying update should begin rolling out later today across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will, of course, get the update at the same time as everyone else, although the new Racing Car Pack is not included in Microsoft’s gaming subscription service and can only be purchased individually.
Forza Horizon 5 remains one of the best Xbox racing games you can play, but later this year racing fans will be treated to the arrival of Forza Motorsport (2023), a true next-generation simulation racing game from Turn 10 Studios and Xbox Game Studios arriving on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Xbox Game Pass on Oct. 10, 2023. Stayed tuned into Windows Central for all the latest coverage on Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon 5.