Forza Motorsport reportedly delayed to 'Q3 or later' this year
Word follows recent release date no-show.
Forza Motorsport has reportedly been delayed from its previously announced "spring 2023" release date on Xbox Series X/S and PC to "Q3 maybe even a little bit later".
That's according to Giant Bomb's Jeff Grubb, speaking during the latest episode of his Game Mess Decides podcast (thanks VGC). "I feel pretty good about this after asking around a couple of times after hearing it the first time earlier today," Grubb explained. "It does seem like Forza is going to slip later into the year and probably won't be the first half of the year...The timeframe I'm hearing for Forza is like Q3, and maybe even a little bit later than that."
Microsoft had initially given Forza Motorsport a "spring 2023" release window when it was announced in June last year. However, when the game re-emerged during this week's Developer Direct showcase, many were quick to notice that, rather than announcing a launch date, Microsoft had instead revised Forza Motorsport's release to a far broader "2023".
Xbox boss Phil Spencer acknowledged the chatter around Forza Motorsport's revised launch date in an interview with IGN, but stopped short of providing any firmer indication of when the Turn-10-developed racer might finally appear.
"I know there were some questions on the date on Forza Motorsport, because we just revealed the year," Spencer said. "Everybody should know just the quality that Turn 10 puts into Motorsport, if you look historically, is going to be there in this game. That's the thing that, first and foremost, is most important, and we will come out with a date, no doubt when we're a little bit closer. But we just wanted to reaffirm to people that this is a 2023 game."
While Forza Motorsport's specific arrival date remains uncertain, Microsoft did provide launch updates for a number of its other first-party titles during its Developer Direct.
Minecraft spin-off Minecraft Legends, for instance, launches for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox on 18th April, while Arkane Austin's vampire shooter Redfall comes to Xbox Series X/S and PC on 2nd May. And if you're looking for something to tide you over in the meantime, there's always Tango Gameworks' wonderfully exuberant rhythm adventure Hi-Fi Rush, which surprise-launched on Xbox and PC earlier this week.