Why Forza Motorsport Doesn’t Have A Number Attached To It

Even though the upcoming Forza Motorsport is the eighth entry in the racing game franchise–13th if you count the Horizon series, too–the title won’t have a number. That’s a deliberate decision to help show what the game aims to be, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer.

Speaking with IGN, Spencer elaborated on exactly why Forza Motorsport is switching gears with its naming. He confirmed it’s because the new game will be a “service platform,” though added, “I hesitate a little bit because I think there’s a lot of loadedness in what that means.”

Spencer talked about how a number in the title can give off the perception that the team, Turn 10, needs to quickly move on to the next installment in the franchise. “And it’s like, no, we want this to be a place that people feel like they can invest their time, they can invest their experience, and know that this is a place that we’re going to be investing in Forza Motorsport for years to come,” he said.

The Xbox head honcho discussed the racing game earlier this week at Gamescom as well. Spencer stated Forza Motorsport’s lack of split-screen was a creative decision, not something tied to trying to make the feature work on Xbox Series S. That’s been a touchy subject lately, especially with Baldur’s Gate 3 skipping split-screen on Xbox Series S so the RPG can arrive on Microsoft’s systems this year.

Forza Motorsport will launch October 10 on PC and Xbox Series X|S. Don’t forget that the racing game will require an internet connection for any progression.