14 DAY TRIAL // After quite a few leaks and reports in the past months, Microsoft, Turn 10 Studios, and Playground Games have confirmed Forza Horizon 2, the next-gen entry in the spinoff series of the Forza Motorsport franchise that will debut for Xbox One but also, surprisingly, for Xbox 360.
The Forza Motorsport series has become the de-facto Xbox racing exclusive series, as Microsoft wants something to counter Sony's long running Gran Turismo franchise.
After the series made its debut alongside the Xbox One with Forza Motorsport 5 last November, Microsoft has once again tasked franchise founder Turn 10 Studios to work alongside Playground Games, the studio behind 2012's Forza Horizon.
The resulting collaboration is Forza Horizon 2, which has just been confirmed by IGN.
The new racing game will make its debut this year for the Xbox One, as expected, but also rather surprisingly for the Xbox 360, although it's unclear just which features will be shared among the two consoles and which are exclusive to the Xbox One.
Just like with Forza Motorsport 5, the new Horizon entry will include the Drivatar system that uses cloud data from other gamers to generate AI behavior, so that races maintain their dynamic nature.
Hundreds of cars are set to be included in Forza Horizon 2, starting with the 2015 Lamborghini Huracan, which you can admire in the image above.
Another surprise in regards to the game is the setting, as contrary to reports that surfaced earlier this year, it won't take place in the Southern United States. Different rumors mentioned that states like Louisiana would take over from Colorado, which was the setting of the first Horizon game.
Instead, it will focus on Southern Europe, once again featuring a music festival as the backdrop and the motivation for all the racing that will be present in the title. It's unclear what countries will be featured, as Southern Europe can cover anything from Spain to France, Italy, or Greece.
Music will play an important role in the game and you can expect a stellar soundtrack, just like in Forza Horizon.
The website emphasizes that Playground Games is leading the development of Forza Horizon 2 but, thanks to a shared technology pipeline, Turn 10 Studios is collaborating closely and ensuring that the new title will live up to the Forza name.
Expect to hear more about Forza Horizon 2 at E3 2014 next week, as Microsoft is sure to present details at its June 9 press conference.