Since Playground Games announced its plans forForza Horizon 5’s first DLC expansion, a return to theHot Wheelsfranchise, players have wondered how it would fit into the racing game’s open world.Forza Horizon 5takes place in Mexico, after all, so it would be somewhat odd to have Hot Wheels tracks built around Guanajuato City. Playground has now unveiled the map for theHot Wheelsexpansion, confirming that players will soon be leaving Mexico behind for somewhere a bit more fantastical.For those who guessed that the newHot Wheelsexpansion forForza Horizon 5would take place in the sky, that’s correct. The map revealed by Playground shows a massive structure floating in the air, with cloud cover seen far below. WhileForza Horizon 5prided itself on itsmassive Mexican open world, it seems theHot Wheelsexpansion will be completely separate from the main game. If there’s any crossover between the two settings, it’s not apparent from this map reveal.RELATED:Forza Horizon 6 Development Seemingly Confirmed by Job ListingThe most striking aspect of theHot Wheelsexpansion map, beyond the fact that it’s floating in the air, is that it’s composed of three different floating islands. Each of theseForza Horizon 5mapislands appears to have its own respective biome. The north island is a lush green biome with forested areas, rivers, and an overall abundance of foliage. The southwest island is rocky, covered in snow, with pits of lava and what may be an active volcano. Lastly, the southeast island is a desert biome with semiarid shrubbery and canyons.
Spread across these three unique islands is an intricate network of the iconic Hot Wheels orange track and blue track connectors. Close inspection reveals all sorts of features within the tracks of theHot Wheelsexpansion, including flips, drops, jumps, tunnels, and more. It’s safe to assume Playground has flexed its creativity to make the most out of the limited Hot Wheels track pieces.
The mix of natural biomes and Hot Wheels track is a very exciting idea. Players will, assumedly, be able to leave the Hot Wheels tracks and explore each island as they please. Otherwise, just having the natural biomes as background detail is exciting in its own way, too. It would allowPlaygroundto get very creative, not having to worry whether players drive over their terrain.
A top-down map of the upcomingHot Wheelsexpansion forForza Horizon 5is one thing, butForzaplayersare likely anxious to be able to play for themselves.Hot Wheelswill officially launch forForza Horizon 5on July 19. It can be purchased individually for $19.99, via theForza Horizon 5 Expansions Bundlefor $34.99, or as part of theForza Horizon 5 Premium Edition, which includes the base game, for $79.99. Fans can expect moreForza Horizon 5 Hot Wheelsnews in the days to come.
Forza Horizon 5is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
