Drift Mode Is Finally Coming To Forza Motorsport

Turn 10’s long-overdue reveal leaves fans cautiously optimistic, while the absence of day-one public lobbies dampens the excitement.

Turn 10 Studios finally announces the return of Drift Mode to Forza Motorsport. The long-awaited feature, an obvious absence for drifting fans from the game’s 2023 release following its popularity in previous editions, is set to arrive “in the coming months,” according to the latest community update.

It’s been a long and winding road for Forza’s drifting enthusiasts, with four years passing since the initial official announcement trailer teased us with the game.

Two years ago, we got the confirmation we were hoping for that drifting would be included in the game and a taste of how it would look in all its glory as Chris Forsberg hunts down Fredric Aasbo in a tandem battle in their (then current) Formula DRIFT cars.

When the game hit the shelves, drifting fans questioned the Drift Mode’s whereabouts. Fast-forward another two years (to today), and we’ve been left waiting so long that Chris Forsberg no longer drives the 370Z featured in the trailer, having switched to a Nissan Z for 2024.

Yet, disappointed and frustrated virtual drifters still await the opportunity to enjoy true drift features in the game, but now, there’s finally some light at the end of the tunnel…

The Long-Awaited Announcement

Turn 10’s recent community update finally addressed the elephant in the room. “Another feature that we know you have been eager for in Forza Motorsport is Drift Mode,” they stated, in what might be the understatement of the year.

Here’s a preview of what’s coming to #ForzaMotorsport later this year, including Spectate, Drift mode, Creative Hub and Share Codes, a new way to get reward cars via the Challenge Hub, as well as the return of Sunset Peninsula and Bathurst. Here are the details:… pic.twitter.com/WhoTTu3FrI

— Forza Motorsport (@ForzaMotorsport) August 29, 2024

The announcement details the basics of the upcoming mode, which sounds suspiciously similar to what we’ve experienced in previous Forza titles, but… Not quite as good.

What’s New (Or Not So New)

Based on the confirmation in the announcement, the upcoming Drift Mode will feature:

• Scoring based on speed, angle, and drift duration
• Free Play and Private Multiplayer availability
• Drift Meetups in Private Multiplayer
• Leaderboards for Drift Rivals
• Drift-specific HUD elements

Notably absent are the public lobbies for Drift Meetups, though Turn 10 promises it’s “planning” to add this in the future.

However, as you’d expect, the details are once again vague, merely mentioning, “We are also planning to add a Drift Meetup public lobby to Featured Multiplayer in the future.” You’d think we haven’t waited long enough already.

Better Late Than Never?

While it’s great to see Drift Mode finally returning to FM, we can’t help but wonder why it’s taken so long and why we’re still getting a half-hearted rollout. Drifting has been a cornerstone of the Forza experience for years, both in Motorsport and Horizon titles.

While Forza Horizon offers a more arcade-like drifting experience, many fans have craved the more simulation-focused sliding that Motorsport traditionally provided.

Its absence at launch was puzzling, to say the least, and the lack of effort in releasing public lobbies, which are arguably the most popular aspect, further adds to the frustration. At this rate, we’ll still be waiting for the full FM drifting experience by the time Forza Horizon 6 is released.

There’s More Good News

Alongside the drifting announcement, Turn 10 also revealed the return of fan-favorite tracks Bathurst and Sunset Peninsula, the latter of which was a drift paradise in earlier Forza titles.

However, the community still calls out the absence of iconic drift locations like Tsukuba and Long Beach, and one that remains on the tip of the tongue for fans, the fictional touge track – Fujimi Kaido.

Drag racing fans certainly won’t be feeling the good news, though, as there’s still complete darkness as to whether that will ever be re-introduced to the Forza Motorsport series, another discipline we became used to seeing in previous games.

The Competition Heats Up

In the meantime, other games have been more than happy to fill the void. Titles like Assetto Corsa have become go-to options for virtual drifting enthusiasts seeking a more realistic experience.

The upcoming Assetto Corsa EVO (also known as Assetto Corsa 2) release has the chance to blow Forza Motorsport out of the water completely.

Meanwhile, other games, such as CarX Drift Racing 3, look increasingly exciting. Horizon competitors, such as CarX Street and JDM: Japanese Drift Master, have also continued to make waves among drifting fans.

While it’s great to see Turn 10 (finally) listening to the community feedback, we can’t help but feel that they’ve been taking the long way around the track on this one. Here’s hoping it’ll be worth the wait when Drift Mode finally arrives, and the public lobbies will return (hopefully very soon) after.

As we continue to wait, check out our Forza Horizon 5 best drift car and how to drift guides to get back into the swing of things. If speed is more your thing, we’ve got you covered for that, too!

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