Forza Horizon 5 Series 18 brings seven new cars, patch update now available to download

Screenshot of Forza Horizon 5 depicting cars off-roading during a storm.
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

What you need to know

  • The Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist is continuing to evolve, and next up is the Horizon Wilds Takeover.
  • Series 18 will bring seven new cars, an off-roading theme, and a Playlist-wide celebration of the life of Ken Block.
  • There's a lot of exciting stuff in the update, including the Dinosaur Outfit Vanity Item and 20 new Accolades.
  • The Horizon Wilds Takeover Festival Playlist leads into the Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure expansion launching next month.

Update, Feb. 28, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. CT: The patch update for Forza Horizon 5 Series 18 is now available to download on all platforms including Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC. The update arrives before the Horizon Wilds Takeover Festival Playlist kicks off on Thursday, March 2, and brings a handful of bug fixes and general improvements. You can check out those fixes in the link above, and get an extensive overview of all the new content in our original article below.


It's a big day for Forza news, with Playground Games revealed the Rally Adventure DLC expansion shortly before detailing everything to come with the Series 18 "Horizon Wilds Takeover" content update. It's the perfect update to ease people into the hardcore rallying arriving with the upcoming expansion, with a plethora of new cars, themed events, and more.

The Forza Horizon 5 Festival Playlist is continuing with Series 18 "Horizon Wilds Takeover," which sees the Horizon Wilds Festival dominate with off-road and rally-themed race events, challenges, and rewards. As promised, the update also pays homage to racing icon Ken Block with a new Hoonigan vehicle, plenty of Hoonigan-related challenges and rewards, and more.

The most exciting addition for many, however, will be the seven new cars coming in Forza Horizon 5 Series 18, including two that are new to the Forza Horizon franchise. Here's everything you need to know about the Forza Horizon 5 Series 18 "Horizon Wilds Takeover" update:

  • Precursor to Rally Adventure. With a new DLC expansion on the horizon, it makes sense that the preceding Festival Playlist would prepare players. Series 18 is all about rally, cross-country, and off-road racing.
  • Honoring the life of Ken Block. Legendary racer Ken Block sadly passed away, and Playground Games is celebrating his incredible life and career in several ways during Forza Horizon 5 Series 18, including:
    • A new "#43" Player Badge, which can be earned by driving any Hoonigan vehicle for 4.3 miles
    • 20 new Accolades involving Hoonigan vehicles, with one rewarding the Forza LINK message "Go Fast. Risk Everythang."
    • The return of an iconic Ken Block Hoonigan vehicle
    • Unique Hoonigan challenges and events throughout the Festival Playlist
  • Seven new vehicles. The Forza Horizon 5 Car List is getting a sizeable expansion with the addition of seven new vehicles throughout the Festival Playlist. Two of these cars are also new to the Forza Horizon franchise.
    • 1980 Subaru BRAT GL
    • 1985 Nissan Safari Turbo
    • 1986 Audi Sport Quattro S1 #2
    • 2015 Honda Ridgeline Baja Trophy Truck
    • 2016 Hoonigan Ford Focus RS Gymkhana 9 RX
    • 2021 Polaris RZR Pro XP Ultimate
    • 2021 SIERRA Cars 700RX
  • World updates and improvements. The world of Forza Horizon is being changed for the Festival Playlist, including:
    • The return of the Stunt Park in the Stadium, this time decked out in Horizon Wilds colors
    • Three new murals to discover throughout Mexico
    • The addition of the Piñatasaurus Collectible, with a matching challenge that rewards the Dinosaur Outfit Vanity Item

The Forza Horizon 5 Series 18 "Horizon Wilds Takeover" content update arrives next week, with the actual Festival Playlist kicking off on Thursday, March 2, 2023.

In case you missed it, the Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure DLC expansion was officially announced, and arrives on March 29 with 10 new cars, six new biomes, an all-new rally career mode, and so much more. Forza Horizon 5 is already one of the best Xbox racing games, but it simply can't stop getting better.

Forza Horizon 5 Expansions Bundle

Forza Horizon 5 Expansions Bundle

The Forza Horizon 5 Expansions Bundle is exactly what you'd expect. This DLC package includes Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels, and will also include Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure the moment it launches on March 29, 2023.

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Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.