Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 4 released to overwhelmingly positive critical praise last week, and despite some stiff competition, it debuted at third place in the United Kingdom. Even if it couldn’t quite dethrone FIFA 19, it’s still managed another strong feat by becoming the fastest-selling title in the series for the region.
The news was revealed by Xbox UK director Harvey Eagle to GamesIndustry.biz: “We’re thrilled that Forza Horizon 4 has been so well received by gamers across the UK. Set in beautiful, historic Britain and made by British studio Playground Games, Forza Horizon 4 is the fastest-ever selling game of the Forza Horizon series in the UK according to the latest GfK data.”
Of course, the title’s availability on Xbox Game Pass – which costs $10 per month and features access to Microsoft’s exclusives on launch day – also helped. “We’re also seeing a huge uplift in Xbox Game Pass subscriptions and engagement. These achievements are a testament to the craft and ambition of the latest release of the Forza franchise, the world’s biggest racing IP.”
This isn’t a real surprise per se. Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg revealed last month that pre-orders were tracking “well ahead” of expectations and that Forza Horizon 4 was “going to be the biggest and best-selling Forza game that we’ve ever launched.” It’s still early days yet, but it’s good to see that Playground Games is committed to supporting the game with events, new vehicles and much more (including a Route Creator).
For more information on Forza Horizon 4 and why it’s so darn good, check out GamingBolt’s official review here. Also head here for a closer look at the sequel’s graphics and performance on Xbox One versus PC and Xbox One X.