Turn 10 confirms Forza Motorsport 8 test – and players can apply now

Turn 10 has announced it will soon be inviting players who register to be part of its Forza Motorsport feedback panels to play “a part” of the next game.

Creative director Chris Esaki said in a video published on Tuesday that the closed playtest was part of “a new phase” of Turn 10’s development, and a new approach which is seeing it develop the game in close collaboration with the community.

The Forza panel, which players can apply to join online, has so far seen players answer surveys and join in discussions in order to aid development.

“In addition to these Forza panels, we actually have been running weekly playtests within our Xbox Game studios and getting a lot of data and feedback on how the game’s progressing and how to really fine tune our details and get the racing right for everyone,” Esaki said.

“The new news is today we will soon be able to share to our people in our Forza panel, they will actually be able to get their hands on a part of our new Forza Motorsport game.

He added: “The only way to get your hands on this part of the new Forza Motorsport title is to be part of that panel.

“We’re going to continue to plan this type of testing as we go in the months ahead and get more and more people from the community in and enjoying this experience. So once again, get on those Forza panels and you’ll actually be able to check out the new or part of the new Forza Motorsport.

“I hope you guys are excited about that. I can’t wait to share that with you all. The team has been waiting so patiently to be able to do that as well. It’s been a long road to get here, so [I] just wanted to welcome you officially to this new phase of our development.”

Forza Motorsport for Xbox Series X was announced last summer and described as “a reimagining” of the series. At the time, Turn 10 creative director Dan Greenawalt told Xbox.com that the game was in early development.

“We are taking what has made Forza Motorsport great over the past 15 years and pairing it with new game concepts and new technologies,” he explained.

“With the new Forza Motorsport, ray tracing is coming to ForzaTech, you will see a dynamic world in 4K, 60fps, that is connected and dynamic – from surfaces of cars reflecting off each other, to brilliant red paint bouncing off intensely detailed track surfaces, and the interplay of light and shadow throughout the world.”

Meanwhile, Forza Horizon 5 could release for Xbox Series X / S as soon as this year, a journalist has suggested.

The last instalment in the arcade spin-off was 2018’s Forza Horizon 4, which was recently updated with new visual effects and increased performance on Xbox Series X/S.

The Horizon series has stuck to a strict two-year release cycle since its inception in 2012, so according to tradition it’s already overdue a new instalment.