The online services of Forza Horizon and Forza Horizon 2 will shut down in August, Microsoft announced. The two legendary racing games will lose their online features, so players will not be able to compete with each other or download content created by others. The games’ single-player mode will remain playable, however.

The Forza Horizon series is one of the most popular racing games, which dazzle players with stunning graphics and varied tracks. The first two parts of the series were released on Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles, and both were a great success among critics and audiences. In the games, players can race against others or alone in an open world, while completing various challenges and missions.

Microsoft announced on the official Forza website that the online services of Forza Horizon and Forza Horizon 2 will shut down on August 23, 2023. This means that online features such as matchmaking, leaderboards, or downloading user-generated content will no longer be available for these two games. These content include liveries, vinyls, setups, or photos. The games’ single-player mode will remain playable, however.

Microsoft also said that the shutdown of Forza Horizon 2 will affect both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One versions of the game, as well as the standalone game Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious. Players who have already purchased these games will be able to continue to download them even after the shutdown date. Both games are also backward compatible with Xbox Series X|S consoles, and this feature will not be affected by the server shutdown.

Microsoft said that the reason for shutting down these games is that they have a very small player population. In addition, due to the age of these games and their services, access to online features is not guaranteed even before August 23.

Source: Neowin