‘Forza Horizon 5’ update adds Custom Racing and progression system in Horizon Open

The next update for "Forza Horizon 5" is up for release. And developer Playground Games confirmed that online-only Horizon Open mode is finally getting two important features.

Playground unveiled the official release notes for the latest "Forza Horizon 5" update a few days ago, giving fans a heads up of the new features and bug fixes to expect. And avid players in the Horizon Open will be delighted that the developer is finally adding a new progression system. It appears that in this new feature, players will be able to collect "Badges" that they can unlock after participating in races.

Avid "Forza" fans might recall that Horizon Open represents a revamped version of the multiplayer gameplay in "Forza Horizon 5." And one of the major changes Playground applied was to remove the Ranked Adventure from "Forza Horizon 4."

"[The Horizon Open] name signifies that it's for all, it's intended to be more low pressure, more inclusive, more accessible," creative director Mike Brown said In an interview with Eurogamer in June 2021. "Horizon 4's Ranked Adventure made winning, like, super important. It made people really, really want to win a lot, and get very angry when they couldn't."

Brown said at the time that they wanted to find the balance so that players would still want to win while finding a "more welcoming, fun and engaging" experience in "Forza Horizon 5." So it will be interesting to see how these principles would apply to the new progression and Badges system.

Another major update coming to Horizon Open is the addition of Custom Racing. Playground said this should allow players to find races based on their preferred discipline and Performance Index class.

The release notes do not mention any new content. But Playground is applying a long list of fixes for "Forza Horizon 5." Along with general stability and performance improvements, the developer says it is re-tuning the effects of dirty air and aerodynamics.

The "Forza Horizon 5" update should also fix the dent on the Jaguar XJS220, and the brake calipers on the 2014 Volkswagen Golf R. New features and game fixes included in the release notes will go live on Tuesday, March 29.