Summary

  • Xbox mistakenly recommended the delisted game Forza Horizon 3 to a player on its digital storefront.
  • The game was delisted in 2020, but the game can still be downloaded by those who previously purchased it on Xbox.
  • Forza Horizon 5 will be coming to PlayStation 5 this spring.

Xbox inadvertently recommended a delisted game to a player recently, advertising Forza Horizon 3 on its digital storefront. Forza Horizon 3, the third entry in Microsoft's first-party off-shoot of its legendary Forza racing franchise, went offline in 2020, though this apparently hasn't stopped Xbox from showcasing the game to players based on their gaming history. Recommended games and other experiences based on player preferences are pretty standard for both Microsoft and Sony, though it's curious how a delisted game like Forza Horizon 3 manages to still exist in this digital world at all.

While Halo and Gears of War reign supreme in terms of console-exclusive titles, Microsoft's Forza franchise has been shifting gears for twenty years, with the first game launching in May 2005. Since then, Microsoft and developer Turn 10 Studios have transformed Forza into a worldwide brand, with the series receiving its own spin-off in 2012 with Forza Horizon. The franchise's focus was flipped on its head, giving players a vast open world to explore. The Horizon franchise spawned numerous sequels itself, though the 2016 release of Forza Horizon 3 can no longer be found online. However, this hasn't stopped Xbox from recommending the game to potential players.

An image of multiple cars drag racing in Forza Horizon 5.
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A Reddit user recently had their Xbox recommend the feature-rich Forza Horizon 3 to play next. While a decent game, especially for fans of the series, Forza Horizon 3 has not been available to purchase since the game was delisted in September 2020. Why and how Xbox managed to still advertise the game is unknown, with the post sparking a discussion online. A few users joked about the incident, while others shared their theory as to how Forza Horizon 3 still showed up despite it vanishing from digital storefronts. "I think it shouldn't show up in 'picks for you' section since, you know, it's a delisted game," said user GabaMassa. "But the reason it still 'exists' in the store is because people that bought can still download it after it was delisted."

Xbox Recommends Player Try Delisted Forza Game

This theory makes the most sense, though it's still quite strange. Despite being delisted, Forza Horizon 3 is still available to download and play for those who had previously purchased it on Xbox. A regular physical copy will also work for those with an Xbox Series X/S console. Fans were worried Forza Horizon 3 was being discontinued entirely after several features went offline earlier this year. However, Forza Horizon Developer Playground Games addressed these issues, essentially "rebooting" the game's servers.

While Forza Horizon 3 may elude players, the Forza franchise is one of the few remaining pillars of Microsoft and Xbox's exclusive first-party titles, though this is changing soon. Xbox recently confirmed that Forza Horizon 5 would be coming to the PlayStation 5 in a move that isn't all that surprising considering Microsoft's openness to working with outside developers and publishers. Forza Horizon 5's arrival on Sony consoles certainly sets a precedent for future titles, though only time will tell if players will ever actually get to see Master Chief on PlayStation.