Forza Horizon 5’s wintery final update of the year is here with 5 new cars, and New Year’s celebrations are locked in

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What you need to know

  • The end of 2024 is rapidly approaching, but Forza Horizon 5 still isn’t slowing down.
  • Today, Playground Games released the final update of the year for FH5, and it’s actually a two-in-one.
  • For December, Holiday Mix-Ups will bring two wintery stadiums and five new cars to collect.
  • In January, players will get another new car, a fresh stunt park, and more ways to build in EventLab.

As a researcher who has spent countless hours behind the virtual wheel of Forza Horizon 5 since its release, I can confidently say that Playground Games knows how to keep their players engaged. The Holiday Mix-Up update, despite being a two-in-one, feels a bit like a stocking stuffed with goodies, but not quite as overflowing as I’d hoped for the end of the year.

Three years have passed since the launch of Forza Horizon 5 across both Xbox and PC platforms, and it appears that fresh content and updates for the game are still in the pipeline. As we approach the year’s end in 2024, Playground Games has unveiled the final update of the year for Forza Horizon 5: the Horizon Holiday Mix-Up is now available for download on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC.

Instead of typical content updates, this one’s a bit different since the Forza developers need their vacation time too. Thus, Holiday Mix-Up is essentially two updates combined, covering December and January. The initial phase celebrates holiday cheer and introduces some thrilling new vehicles, while the second half, named “Extreme Horizon” in January, will introduce one new car and other intriguing features.

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While I’m here, I also want to remind all of you that Forza Horizon 4 goes end-of-life on Dec. 15, 2024, meaning you have less than two weeks to buy the game and all its DLC before they permanently disappear from digital storefronts. One of the best ways to do that is to pick up Forza Horizon 4 Ultimate Edition (Xbox & PC) for $19.99 at Amazon, which includes a huge amount of content.

A total of six new cars across two months of wintery fun

For the month of December, themed as “Horizon Holiday Mix-Up”, and for January, themed as “Extreme Horizon”, one might anticipate a vast amount of fresh content; however, this compilation won’t stretch on extensively.

  • Five new cars with Horizon Holiday Mix-Up. First, Forza Horizon 5 is getting five new cars in December, with four being Festival Playlist reward cars and the fifth being a reward for completing a limited-time event between Dec. 5-12.
    • 2006 Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG Wagon
    • 2014 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon
    • 2021 Bentley Flying Spur
    • 2024 Nissan Z Nismo
    • 2022 BMW M5 CS
  • One more car with Extreme Horizon. In January, FH5 players will be able to collect one more new car as part of the Festival Playlist.
    • 1965 DeBerti Design Chevrolet C10 “Slayer”
  • A whole lot of Stadium makeovers. During December, the Horizon Stadium will alternate between two festive themes, with the first and third weeks being the Winter Wonderland Stadium and the second and fourth weeks being the popular Ice Rink. In January, players will get to explore the Stunt Park once again.
  • More EventLab content. Creators rejoice, the EventLab is getting four new build stubs permanently added to the Forza Horizon 5 map with the arrival of Extreme Horizon, giving you more locations to build your masterpieces.

Playground Games gave a sneak peek at their upcoming content update in February 2025, titled Midnight Muscle. This update is expected to extend the gameplay into darker hours, introduce fresh reward vehicles and activities, and offer players the ability to personalize their home screen interface.

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I’m always open to additional themed Festival Playlists and fresh vehicles, but the Holiday Mix-Up seems a bit mild considering it’s a double update. I hope the Playground Games crew enjoys a well-deserved holiday break and ramps up their efforts for 2025, as Forza Horizon 5 updates have been feeling quite repetitive lately (new cars, new Festival Playlist, new stadium, new EventLab props). However, I must say, the inclusion of Halo content in FH5 was quite exciting.

Regardless of what unfolds next year, the Forza Horizon 5 car collection stands out clearly as one of the most remarkable vehicle lineups in any racing game currently or previously available to play. It appears that this impressive roster will only grow further in the future. In the interim, the Forza Horizon 5: Horizon Holiday Mix-Up has been released for download by all players, and you can find detailed updates on it at Forza.net.

Just a heads up, Forza Horizon 4 will no longer be available for purchase on digital storefronts, including Xbox Game Pass, as of December 15, 2024. To ensure you can continue playing the game indefinitely, consider buying it before then, such as the Forza Horizon 4 Ultimate Edition (Xbox & PC) currently selling for just $19.99 at Amazon.

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2024-12-04 01:09